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CNN
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Rashida Jones is stepping down as president of MSNBC and one of her top lieutenants, Rebecca Kutler, is taking over as the network’s interim president.

The change at the top of the progressive news network comes as its parent company Comcast prepares to spin off MSNBC and other cable channels into a separate publicly traded company.

Mark Lazarus, the spinoff’s incoming CEO, said in a memo Tuesday morning that Jones “expertly navigated MSNBC through a years-long, unrelenting and unprecedented news cycle, while simultaneously driving the network to record viewership and investments in nonlinear “Company.”

Now, Lazarus said, he will work with Kutler “as we shape our shared future together.”

Among the looming questions: Will MSNBC change its approach to political coverage if President-elect Donald Trump returns to power? Will the network move out of its iconic Rockefeller Center offices once the spin-off takes effect?

Jones’ decision to leave the company resolves one of the other questions that have arisen on the network. Status’s Oliver Darcy reported last month that she was considering an exit in early 2025. Jones took office around the same time four years ago, reflecting the fact that transitions in television news often coincide with presidential elections and inauguration cycles.

Jones was a historic choice — the first Black man to lead a major television news network. She recruited new hosts like Jen Psaki and prioritized digital expansion of the MSNBC brand. In 2022, she hired Kutler from CNN.

Kutler spent 20 years at CNN, first as an intern for one of anchor Wolf Blitzer’s programs in the Washington, D.C. bureau. She later became a key producer, launching several shows for CNN, overseeing a number of analysts and commentators, and directing programming for CNN+, the short-lived streaming news service.

At MSNBC, Kutler “was a catalyst for the growth of our digital, social and audio platforms, resulting in extensive audience engagement,” Lazarus wrote in his memo.

During a conference call Tuesday morning with employees, Lazarus said Kutler will hire a director of news gathering and a director of talent as she builds a leadership team. Lazarus also put an end to speculation that MSNBC may have to rename itself once it spins off from NBC. The network will keep its name, he said.

Lazarus noted that Kutler was promoted just last week to oversee all daytime programming on MSNBC in addition to her existing role as head of podcasts, films, live events, streaming and digital platforms.

In her own internal memo, Jones did not specify what she planned to do next, but she expressed confidence that “MSNBC is well positioned for the future.”