Political news network MSNBC will rebrand to MS NOW as Comcast’s NBCUniversal prepares to spin off several media brands into a new company called Versant, writes Hannah Miller for Bloomberg.
Versant Chief Executive Officer Mark Lazarus told employees earlier this week the network will now be called My Source News, Opinion, and the World, or MS NOW for short.
Last year, Philadelphia-based Comcast announced plans to spin off some of its cable TV channels, including MSNBC, CNBC, and USA Network. NBC broadcast network, Peacock streaming service, and Bravo channel will remain under NBCUniversal.
Lazarus wrote in an internal memo that the company will also update its brand logos, removing the NBC-associated peacock symbol. The changes are expected to take effect nearer to the spinoff, projected to conclude by year’s end.
“This gives us the opportunity to chart our own path forward, create distinct brand identities, and establish an independent news organization following the spin,” he wrote.
MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler stated in a separate internal memo that the company will launch a marketing campaign to promote the MS NOW brand.
“While our name will be changing, who we are and what we do will not,” she wrote.
Read more about the rebranding of MSNBC to MS Now in Bloomberg.
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