MSNBC appears to be losing yet another top anchor as Ari Melber has reportedly been meeting with rivals amid an exodus for the broadcaster.
Melber, 45, has been in talks to leave the network and is even considering launching his own media company, according to Breaker.
Two sources familiar with Melber’s thinking told the publication that he is speaking to other networks as the struggling MSNBC catapults into irrelevancy with tumbling ratings across the board.
Melber hosts the 6pm show The Beat, which has been running since 2017, and is considered a ratings winner for the network.
He also serves as chief legal correspondent and has amassed a healthy following on YouTube, which is a huge part of new MSNBC boss Rebecca Kutler’s vision for the future of the flailing network.
Kutler made waves by firing Joy Reid as one of her first maneuvers in February as part of a programming bloodbath.
Katie Phang, Jonathan Capehart and Ayman Mohyeldin also lost their shows, though the latter two will be moving to new shows elsewhere on the network.
And just last month it emerged that election night favorite Steve Kornacki had quit his role at MSNBC ahead of the impending split from parent company NBCUniversal.
Ari Melber, 45, is reportedly considering his options and is even considering launching his own media company
Joy Reid (left) and Katie Phang (right) both had their roles cut in the programming bloodbath
Kornacki, famed for his fascinating data updates during presidential election counts, will instead stick with NBC News.
He will now devote his expertise to shows like ‘Meet the Press,’ ‘Today’ and ‘NBC Nightly News,’ as well as the network’s streaming channel, NBC News Now.
The data reporter, 45, is one of few on-air talents who has found success with both conservative and liberal fanbases – thanks to his relentlessly information-driven updates, delivered with no hint as to his personal beliefs.
Kornacki, upon signing his new contract, opted for NBC News – a network that itself has been plagued by high-profile exits.
Lester Holt revealed he would be stepping down from Nightly News last month – though staying with Dateline – and Longtime Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd left his post in January, taking his successful podcast with him in the process.
That same month, Hoda Kotb left her long-held post at Today, following a 26-year NBC News career. Like Holt, Kotb is also staying at the network – though in an unspecified role.
MSNBC is preparing for its impending split from NBC News and other NBCUniversal assets later this year.
Once it does, the left-leaning station will spearhead a completely new company called Versant, which will be comprised entirely of Comcast channels.
Melber hosts the 6pm show The Beat, which has been running since 2017, and is considered a ratings winner for the network
Jonathan Capehart and Ayman Mohyeldin also lost their shows, though they will be moving to new shows elsewhere on the networ.
MSNBC star Rachel Maddow reduced her on-air screentime from 5 days a week to one day a week
Kutler recently appointed longtime Wall Street Journal reporter and editor Sudeep Reddy to helm the new Washington D.C. bureau as the network gears up for a refresh.
The decision was likely a surprise to some considering Reddy’s straight news, unbiased pedigree, which also includes a lengthy senior managing stint at Politico.
Before that, Reddy, 45, spent nearly a decade with the Journal, where his coverage was deeply rooted in economics.
Kutler hopes the refresh will help give ratings a boost after an embarrassing few months.
In the 25-54 demographic, MSNBC averaged 55,000 in December, compared to 114,000 in December 2023.
By May, MSNBC was down 29 percent in total viewers and 40 percent in the demo in primetime.
In total for the week of May 12, the network averaged 532,000 total viewers.