Jen Psaki joins MSNBC’s prime-time lineup with a second weekly show
MSNBC viewers soon will be seeing more of former White House press secretary Jen Psaki.
Starting Sept. 25, Psaki will host Mondays at 8 p.m. Eastern in addition to her Sunday-at-noon program “Inside With Jen Psaki,” which premiered on the progressive cable news in March. Chris Hayes, the longtime host in the time slot, will continue Tuesday through Friday.
Psaki, a highly recognizable face after two years of giving daily press briefings for the Biden administration, has been a ratings success in her first full-time TV role. Hers is the most-watched MSNBC program every weekend, averaging nearly 1 million viewers, according to Nielsen data.
While cable news channels tend to keep a consistent lineup in weekday prime time, MSNBC has seen that audiences will seek out a personality who appears on a weekly basis.
The former press secretary for President Biden takes on a new role as a Sunday cable news host of a show that will also be available on NBC’s Peacock streaming service.
In order to keep its biggest name, Rachel Maddow, when her contract was up last year, MSNBC agreed to allow her a once-a-week work schedule. Maddow appears only on Mondays at 9 p.m., while Alex Wagner’s program airs in the hour during the rest of the week. The schedule has proved successful, with Maddow typically being the most-watched cable news host in the hour.
MSNBC has been on a strong ratings run as viewers have flocked to the channel on days when former President Trump has a court date for one of the four criminal indictments he is facing.
In July, MSNBC averaged 1.1 million viewers in prime time, more than double the number for CNN and around 400,000 behind cable news ratings leader Fox News.
Separately, Fox News announced that conservative host Mark Levin will expand to two nights on the weekend. “Life, Liberty and Levin” will air on Saturdays at 8 p.m. Eastern starting Sept. 16 in addition to Sundays at 8 p.m.
Inside the business of entertainment
The Wide Shot brings you news, analysis and insights on everything from streaming wars to production — and what it all means for the future.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
