MSNBC Cancels Joy Reid’s Show in Major Programming Overhaul

MSNBC is canceling Joy Reid’s evening news show, “The ReidOut,” as part of a sweeping programming revamp led by the network’s new president, Rebecca Kutler, according to sources familiar with the decision.

The final episode of Ms. Reid’s 7 p.m. program is expected to air this week. For the past five years, the show has been a key part of MSNBC’s primetime lineup, known for its in-depth interviews with politicians and other prominent figures.

To replace “The ReidOut,” MSNBC plans to introduce a new program featuring a trio of anchors: Symone Sanders Townsend, a political commentator and former Democratic strategist; Michael Steele, a former chairman of the Republican National Committee; and Alicia Menendez, a TV journalist. The trio currently co-hosts “The Weekend,” which airs on Saturday and Sunday mornings.

The programming overhaul marks the first significant change under Ms. Kutler, who took over as president earlier this month. She has been working on a new lineup aimed at boosting the network’s ratings, which have consistently outperformed CNN but still trail Fox News.

Additional changes are expected at MSNBC. In January, Rachel Maddow, the network’s most well-known anchor, returned to hosting her 9 p.m. show five nights a week for the first 100 days of the Trump administration after previously scaling back to just Mondays. At the time, MSNBC announced that Alex Wagner, who had filled the slot four nights a week, would return at the end of April.