MSNBC Staff Angry After ‘Morning Joe’ Pulled from Air

The discontent within MSNBC reached a peak on Tuesday after the network decided to preempt its top morning hosts on the first day of the Republican National Convention. Employees and those close to the network were bewildered by the executive decision, causing a second significant backlash in just four months.

Multiple sources expressed their intense frustration to The Daily Beast, condemning NBC News Group President Cesar Conde and MSNBC President Rashida Jones. The decision to remove Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski from the air on such a crucial day sparked outrage among staff.

Tuesday’s Morning Joe showcased this fury, with Scarborough openly criticizing MSNBC and NBC executives over the move. Scarborough mentioned that they were initially informed of a unified news feed across NBC’s channels, but the network eventually broadcast NBC News Now’s Morning News Now, hosted by Samantha Sellars and Joe Fryer.

An MSNBC staffer told The Daily Beast, “There is a level of disappointment and disillusion in our leadership in a way that is unlike anything before.”

According to CNN’s report on Sunday, the network sidelined Scarborough and Brzezinski fearing they might make inappropriate comments after the recent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.

Scarborough made it clear, “Next time we’re told there’s going to be a news feed replacing us, we will be in our chairs. The news feed will be us, or they can get somebody else to host the show.”

Blame was laid upon Conde, who has led NBC News Group since 2020. Many felt his lack of journalistic experience—having studied business at Harvard and earned an M.B.A from the University of Pennsylvania—contributed to his inability to grasp what MSNBC’s audience values, further amplifying critiques that the network serves as a left-wing stronghold.

Conde’s controversial decisions aren’t new. In March, he hired former Republican National Committee chairwoman Ronna McDaniel as a contributor, a move perceived as an effort to diversify Republican voices. This decision led to an on-air revolt, led by hosts like Chuck Todd, Scarborough, and Brzezinski. McDaniel was dismissed within days, and Conde took “full responsibility” for the misstep.

One source familiar with the situation noted the tendency of Morning Joe‘s hosts to see themselves as bigger than the network, despite neither of them holding leadership roles.

“Ultimately, [leadership is] not beholden to the talent,” the source said. “They’re beholden to their talent, their affiliates, and their bosses.”

There was also speculation within MSNBC circles that removing Morning Joe from the air was an attempt by NBCUniversal and Comcast to possibly ingratiate themselves with a future Donald Trump administration, given ongoing criticism from Trump and his allies.

“There’s no world in which any of this makes sense unless Comcast is attempting to curry favor,” said one MSNBC employee. While Semafor reported that there were initial plans to also bench Nicolle Wallace and Ari Melber on Monday, those were dropped, and opinion hosts, including Rachel Maddow, were present on Monday night.

Comcast directed The Daily Beast to NBC’s news division for comment. According to an NBC News spokesperson, “The programming decisions are made entirely by NBC News Group.”

The uncertainty remains about Comcast CEO Brian Roberts’ and NBCUniversal President Mike Cavanaugh’s stance on a potentially reinstated Trump, who has frequently criticized Roberts and Comcast for their NBC ownership. OpenSecrets’ analysis of campaign donations showed that Roberts had mostly donated to Democrats over the past 15 years, with some contributions to Republicans.

Still, such sentiments are not unusual among media executives. Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav, who oversees CNN, recently mentioned at the Allen & Co. Sun Valley Forum in Idaho that he would welcome a president prioritizing business interests.

“We just need an opportunity for deregulation, so companies can consolidate and do what we need to to be even better,” Zaslav said.

The anger within MSNBC highlights a broader frustration in news organizations during a time when network executives, both new and seasoned, grapple with unprecedented events while trying to manage costs and resources. This tension has strained relationships with the faces of these networks: the talent.

“This sort of unhappiness being aired would never have happened under Jeff Zucker’s leadership at CNN,” said another source familiar with the situation, referring to the ex-CNN head known for his close relationship with talent.

Despite this, the decision to upset top stars of a morning program has left sources critical of Conde’s handling of the news divisions, prompting journalists to voice their grievances publicly. “The buck stops with Cesar,” said another source close to the situation.

“When you decide you want to own a news division—these are journalists,” the source added. “They’re truth seekers, they’re there to tell the story and they’ll tell the story about their own company.”

Read more at The Daily Beast.