By Eric Yaverbaum, CEO of Ericho Communications
What’s in a name? For MS NOW (formerly MSNBC), that’s a loaded question.
The origin of the name “MSNBC” dates back to 1996, when Microsoft and the news channel NBC joined forces. Together, Microsoft and NBC created a news channel at the intersection of television news and online video content. This combined MS (Microsoft) and NBC TV to become what we know today as “MSNBC TV.”
In 2012, Microsoft sold its 50% stake in MSNBC back to NBC, giving the network full ownership of the channel.
Since then, the name “MSNBC” has been somewhat misleading, as the network no longer has a connection to Microsoft. Now, with the channel in the process of separating from its parent company, NBC, the name “MSNBC” would make even less sense. According to a statement on the rebrand, MS NOW is transitioning to a new media company called VERSANT, which will also include CNBC, Golf Channel, GolfNow, and SportsEngine. For the brand, the name change was a natural next step.
The channel’s name change to MS NOW is taking on new meaning as an acronym for “My Source News Opinion World.” In the statement on the rebrand, MS NOW emphasizes that the new name “further underscores” the organization’s mission, which is to “serve as your destination for breaking news and thoughtful analysis and remain the home for the perspectives that you’ve relied on for nearly 30 years.”
Much like recent criticism Cracker Barrel received on its new logo and restaurant remodels, the name and new logo for MS NOW are receiving their fair share of backlash. Critics have pointed out on Reddit that “MS” also stands for the autoimmune disease Multiple Sclerosis, and that “MS NOW” could easily be confused as an awareness campaign for the disease. Others have commented that the name sounds like a Microsoft product, further reinforcing confusion around the past relationship between the channel and the tech company.
Yet I’d argue there’s so much more to MS NOW’s rebrand than bewildering history and internet trolling. For one, it’s not simply a rebrand. As a communications veteran with over 40 years in the industry, what strikes me most is the timing. Why is MS NOW choosing, well, now to split from NBC? Especially considering that while other newsrooms are shrinking, MS NOW is adding nearly 100 new roles to its leadership and newsroom, according to its statement on the shift.
The reality is we live in an incredibly polarized media landscape. A Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS) report titled “Measuring dynamic media bias” found that, from 2012 to 2022, CNN, Fox, and MS NOW became more politically polarized over the decade. Specifically, Fox moved further to the right while CNN and MS NOW moved further to the left of the political spectrum. Further, data from the 2025 “Future of News” report released by Stagwell and HarrisX shows that 14% of U.S. adults among the general public watch Fox News, 8% watch CNN, and 3% watch MS NOW. The report also found that more viewers get their news from Facebook (11%) and TikTok (8%) than MS NOW.
In its statement, MS NOW was explicit that it won’t be changing its programming, like its shows with its most recognizable pundits, including Rachel Maddow, Joe Scarborough, and Nicolle Wallace. Given an increasingly competitive and polarized media landscape, and the fact that much of MS NOW’s content is staying the same, the move by the channel could be a play for relevance. A way to bolster its content, maintain viewership, and gain new audiences by putting more investment into the channel, rather than taking away from it.
This is especially important as more people turn to social media for news, which often is saturated with misinformation and content designed to reaffirm viewers’ beliefs and biases, or rely on partisan opinion outlets that typically present only one side of an issue. Not to mention that once objective news organizations are now becoming increasingly opinionated and polarized, driven by the ongoing consolidation of media ownership by a wealthy few. For example, Paramount Skydance CEO and son of billionaire Larry Ellison, David Ellison, recently purchased the explicitly “anti-woke” news site The Free Press and appointed its founder, Bari Weiss, whose background is in opinion, not objective journalism, as Editor-in-Chief of CBS News. This is troubling on its own, but even more concerning considering that Ellison is reportedly seeking to further his media dominance by acquiring Warner Bros. Discovery.
As a communications professional, I can’t overstate the importance of objectivity in the news. The media is not merely a vehicle for persuasion. It plays a vital role in disseminating accurate information, especially during natural disasters, major geopolitical events, and in explaining facts around policies that impact people at both national and local levels.
In a country increasingly divided along political lines, the media we consume should strive to maintain balance and fairness. There’s never been a more important moment for MS NOW to expand and evolve into something greater.
MS NOW’s rebrand may be sparking confusion and criticism, but it also signals ambition. In a time when trust in media is fragile and audiences are fragmented across platforms, the move represents a rare show of investment in journalism rather than retreat. Whether the new name resonates or not, the real test will be in how MS NOW delivers on its promise to inform, engage, and reflect a wide range of perspectives. If the channel can rise to meet this moment, the name may eventually matter less than the renewed sense of purpose behind it.
About the Author
Eric Yaverbaum, CEO of Ericho Communications, is a 44-year public relations veteran and communications expert who recently released the third edition of his industry-standard bestseller Public Relations for Dummies and is also the bestselling author of seven other books including Leadership Secrets of the World’s Most Successful CEOs. He is a regular TV pundit, and his expert commentary has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, The Washington Post, The New York Times, HuffPost, CNBC, and PR Week, among others.
