A member of the show’s staff, speaking on condition of anonymity, revealed that producers and hosts were informed over the weekend that MSNBC’s programming would be taken over by its corporate sibling, NBC News. This network features major anchors and hosts such as Lester Holt, Savannah Guthrie, and Kristen Welker. Following the shooting on Saturday, Mr. Holt’s coverage aired on MSNBC, and he was scheduled to interview President Biden on Monday.
Staff members were reportedly surprised on Monday when MSNBC aired programming from its digital news service, NBC News Now, instead of the main NBC News show, “Today,” which was not pre-empted.
An MSNBC spokesman denied that the programming change was due to political considerations. In a statement, the network said, “Given the gravity and complexity of this unfolding story, NBC News, NBC News NOW, and MSNBC have remained in rolling breaking news coverage since Saturday evening. As we continue to cover this story into the week, the networks will continue to cross-simulcast, alternating between NBC News, NBC News Now, and ‘MSNBC Reports,’ so there is one news feed covering this developing situation.”
A spokesman for NBCUniversal News Group stated that “Morning Joe” would return on Tuesday.
Following the shooting on Saturday, MSNBC made additional programming adjustments. The network canceled “VelshiCast,” a planned YouTube livestream that was to feature commentary on the Republican convention in Milwaukee by anchor Ali Velshi, according to a source familiar with the decision.