Rashida Jones announced her resignation as president of MSNBC on Tuesday, after four years at the helm of the struggling cable network.
Jones was the nation’s first Black female leader of a major U.S. TV news network. The network announced that Rebecca Kutler will replace her on an interim basis. Kutler is MSNBC’s Senior Vice President of Content Strategy.
“I came to this decision over the holidays while reflecting on our remarkable journey and the many successes we’ve achieved together as a team. This has been the most rewarding chapter of my professional career and I am immensely proud of what we have accomplished, which has been made possible only by you,” Jones said in a memo.
Jones’s resignation came two months after Comcast announced that it would spin off MSNBC into a separate cable company.
Since the election, MSNBC ratings have plummeted. According to the LA Times, Nielsen data, the left-leaning network saw its ratings drop 46% the month following Election Day.
A source told The Washington Post that Jones’ decision to leave was not related to the ratings decline.
According to the LA Times report, MSNBC’s top stars, including Rachel Maddow and Joy Reid, were asked to cut their salaries. Maddow’s salary was reduced by $5 million.
The network has announced that Maddow will return to hosting her show for five nights per week during the first 100 of Donald Trump’s presidency. Maddow’s show will only be broadcast on Mondays after April.
