Later this year, MSNBC will be changing its name to MS NOW. The move comes as the cable news network to about to be spun off to Versant, a new company under the NBCUniversal umbrella about to also take ownership of CNBC, USA Network, E!, SyFy, Golf Network, and all other NBC Universal-owned cable networks not named Bravo.
Does MSNBC really need to change to MS Now, though? According to the network’s own history, the name change is entirely unnecessary.
MSNBC launched in 1996 as a joint venture between NBC and Microsoft. Microsoft had launched its Internet portal MSN the year before, hence the name MSNBC. Microsoft exited its involvement in the channel in 2005, and the cable news network soon thereafter rebranded to place a heavy emphasis on liberal-leaning opinion programming.
Yet, despite Microsoft’s exit and the channel’s shift in programming strategy, MSNBC kept its name. It wasn’t renamed to NBC NOW. In fact, the name ‘MS NOW’ makes more sense if it were Microsoft taking full control of the network than it does in its upcoming form. NBC Universal is taking their own initials out of the network, yet leaving in the ones that originally were a nod to Microsoft.
It’s understandable that some type of rebranding would happen at MSNBC now that it won’t be directly under the NBCUniversal umbrella. However, the fact CNBC is keeping its name proves they could have just changed what the acronym ‘MSNBC’ stood for. While CNBC’s initials likely had a double meaning in aligning with the NBC brand, the name will still stand for ‘Consumer News and Business Channel’ even under Versant. MSNBC could have changed to, perhaps, ‘My Source News Briefing Channel.’
MSNBC also could have done nothing with its name, perhaps only changing the logo to shy away from the NBC-associated peacock. This is exactly what Nexstar did when they purchased a majority stake in The CW, a network co-founded by CBS Corporation and Warner Bros . The network would have a completely new name today when taking into account Nexstar’s purchase, CBS Corporation’s eventually merge into Paramount Skydance Corporation and Warner Bros. merger with Discovery.
The fact is, MSNBC isn’t being renamed out of necessity; it’s being renamed simply out of pure desire. The network has been struggling in the ratings compared to Fox News or even CNN, and a second Trump presidency hasn’t fixed that. Even if they claim they’re not rethinking their programming strategy now, a new name and logo certainly paves the way for a programming rebrand in the near future. Doing such as MS NOW, however, will likely go about as well as the rebrand of ABC Family to Freeform.