Why Is Rachel Maddow Leaving MSNBC? For more than decades, she has been MSNBC’s most high-profile on-air personality, embodying the network’s liberal ethos.
However, she may not be on MSNBC next year when people tune in.
Continue reading to learn about the reason behind Rachel Maddow’s departure from MSNBC.
Why Is Rachel Maddow Leaving MSNBC?
According to an individual briefed on the arrangement, which was not authorized to comment publicly, Rachel Maddow, MSNBC’s top-rated anchor, has renewed her contract with the cable news network, extending her 13-year stint for several more years.
Ms. Maddow, 48, will explore new initiatives with NBCUniversal, the network’s parent company, in addition to hosting her show, the person added. The deal’s financial specifics were not revealed.
Ms. Maddow’s contract with the network was set to end next year, and The Daily Beast reported earlier this month that she had expressed a desire to leave to pursue podcasting and streaming projects.
Rachel Maddow Seriously Considers Leaving MSNBC https://t.co/QwZb9PdC1y via @thedailybeast
— Morgan Fairchild (@morgfair) August 12, 2021
Insider was the first to disclose that Ms. Maddow’s contract with the network has been extended.
“The Rachel Maddow Show,” which airs weeknights at 9 p.m. on MSNBC, is the network’s top-rated program, with a combination of news, opinion, and entertainment.
Ms. Maddow, a former Rhodes scholar, was one of the anchors who helped MSNBC become a favorite among liberals, especially during Donald J. Trump’s presidency.
In 2008, Ms. Maddow was given her prime-time break by Phil Griffin, the former president of MSNBC.
He stepped down in February, just as the network’s viewership reached new highs in a quarter-century. Rashida Jones was given the reins and the job of maintaining those viewers.
With Mr. Trump in power, her show helped lead a rating rebound for MSNBC, whose prime-time viewership in the critical 25-to-54 age group more than doubled in a year.
Why Is Rachel Maddow Not On Her Show?
Maddow has hinted about professional burnout on several occasions. She told viewers during her evening broadcast that a two-week trip she took earlier this month was the most extended vacation she’d ever taken.
With The New York Times in 2019, Maddow stated she discovered she rarely has any time to herself between writing a book and anchoring her show.
“I’m discovering now—10, 11 years into this—that working long days is acceptable,” she told the New York Times. “However, working incessantly long days, five days a week, 50 weeks a year for ten years is not beneficial for you.”
Rachel Maddow has held talks about leaving MSNBC and launching her own new media ventures, according to sources who have spoken with her.
She may ultimately decide to renew her contract with the cable news channel’s parent, NBCUniversal, the sources say. https://t.co/mqeuVRczlp
— CNN (@CNN) August 13, 2021
According to The Daily Beast, MSNBC is going to great lengths to keep Maddow on board.
According to sources familiar with the matter, NBCUniversal News Group chair Cesar Conde and NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell are also committed to keeping her and are preparing to grant her a significant contract extension to do so.
Higher-ups have mooted a shortened schedule to meet Maddow’s wish to lighten her hosting load.