MSNBC president Rashida Jones resigns after four years

MSNBC President Rashida Jones announced Tuesday that she is resigning after four years at the helm of the cable news network.

Jones made history as the first black executive to lead a major U.S. television news network, making the announcement to MSNBC's top anchors, leaders and network staff on Tuesday morning. (MSNBC and NBC News are both subsidiaries of NBCUniversal.)

Rebecca Kutler, the network's senior vice president of content strategy, has been named interim president of MSNBC. Jones recruited Kutler to join the network in 2022.

“I made this decision over the holidays while reflecting on our remarkable journey and the many successes we have achieved together as a team. This has been one of the most rewarding chapters of my career and I feel proud of what we have achieved So proud that only you made these achievements possible,” Jones said in a memo to employees.

Nearly two months ago, Comcast announced plans to spin off most of its cable networks into an independent, publicly traded company (currently known as SpinCo). The new company will include MSNBC, CNBC, USA Network, Oxygen, E!, SYFY and Golf Channel.

Jones took over MSNBC in February 2021 following the inauguration of President Joe Biden and the Jan. 6 riots at the U.S. Capitol. She led MSNBC to a ratings win on a big political night.

She retained the network's top talent, including Rachel Maddow, and signed them to new long-term deals. She also created a series of live events; relaunched a new mobile app and premium subscription series; and invested in other online digital products.

MSNBC's ratings dropped after the election. Last year, the network remained the second-largest cable network, averaging 807,000 daily viewers and 1.3 million prime-time viewers.

The cable TV business is clearly at a crossroads as consumers turn to streaming alternatives like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. In this business environment, some cable channels remain profitable and have healthy cash flows, but other brands are declining rapidly.

In a memo to employees, SpinCo's incoming CEO Mark Lazarus praised Jones for his years at the helm of MSNBC.

“Rashida has expertly guided MSNBC through a years-long, relentless and unprecedented news cycle while driving the network to record ratings and investments in non-linear operations. MSNBC is well positioned for the future Be prepared,” Lazarus said in a memo to employees.

MSNBC will retain its name after the spinoff is completed, Lazarus told staff in an online call.

Jones previously served as senior vice president at NBC News and MSNBC, where he oversaw and led production of special events across the networks, including election night coverage and the presidential debates.

Cutler comes to MSNBC from CNN, where she worked for 20 years, most recently as senior vice president.