Rachel Maddow Plans MSNBC Hiatus to Focus on Other Projects

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorThe Murdochs, the media-mogul family that controls Fox News Channel, are about to be the subject of a new documentary series that will be distributed by one of their main rivals.CNN expects to launch a six-part documentary series, “The Murdochs: Empire of Influence,” on CNN Plus, the streaming video site slated to launch in weeks to come. The series is produced with The New York Times and Left/Right and is based on the New York Times Magazine article “How Rupert Murdoch’s Empire of Influence Remade the World,” by journalists Jonathan Mahler and Jim Rutenberg.

Anna Marie de la Fuente Miami-based FiGa Films has announced a flurry of sales and acquisition activity during the EFM. Among its stellar pics is ‘Nudo Mixteco,” the first indigenous film it has handled, which HBO Max has picked up for the U.S., to bow in May.Uruguayan doc, “Straight to VHS,” winner of the prestigious critics award, the Fipresci, at the Buenos Aires indie film fest, Bafici, has been sold to IndiePix for the U.S. It also acquired the film on which the doc is based upon, “Act of Violence on a Young Journalist,” that will be released as an extra on home video.“We are delighted to collaborate with IndiePix and with their enthusiasm for ‘Straight to VHS,’” said FiGa Films’ Sandro Fiorin, adding: “Their plans for a home-video release full of extras sounds like an instant collectible item.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorKatie Phang, who has been a legal analyst for MSNBC and NBC News, will launch a new show on MSNBC’s weekend schedule as well as on MSNBC”s streaming counterpart on the Peacock streaming-video hub, in the latest addition of an opinion program to the cable-news outlet’s lineup.Starting April 9, Phang will host MSNBC’s 7 a.m. to 8 a.m.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorWhile A+E’s History Channel sets out to tell the story of Abraham Lincoln in a documentary over three nights  it will also tell the stories of formerly enslaved people who were also an important part of that era in a mini-series backed by one of its advertisers.Ancestry is sponsoring a three-part miniseries that will accompany the Lincoln work, which debuts February 20, the latest in A+E’s efforts to craft bespoke programming segments that burnish ad messages while at the same time keeping viewers tuned to the programing for which they originally came.“To me, this is not a commercial break, this is not a ‘brought to you by,’” says David DeSocio, executive vice president of ad sales marketing and partnerships at A+E Networks, in a recent interview. “It’s a continuation of the story, but on a very personal level.” Each of the content segments accompanying the “Lincoln” project will be introduced by Christy Coleman, executive director of the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation in Williamsburg, VA, and a contributor to the documentary.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorMadison Avenue is getting closer to realizing its dream of using TV advertising to talk to viewers in a style more akin to a one-to-one conversationThe future of the humble TV ad has long been described as the following: New data and interactive technology will trim the practice of throwing a diaper ad or a car spot at every single member of the audience. Instead, more marketers will use addressable technology that allows them to beam different ads to different household, all in the same “slot” in a commercial break.Horizon, the independent media-investment company, will help deploy addressable ads in national linear inventory on networks owned by A+E Networks and Fox Corp.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorNBCUniversal wants to add an interesting new story to Jenna Bush Hager’s “Today” book club.For nearly four years, the co-host of the 10 a.m. hour of “Today” has chosen a book each month for members of her “Read with Jenna” club to peruse and discuss.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorJamie-Lynn Sigler has been keeping a secret for weeks. On Sunday, it finally came out.Sigler, who played Meadow Soprano for more than eight years on the iconic HBO series “The Sopranos,” stepped into the role again Sunday for a Chevrolet commercial that aired during NBC’s telecast of Super Bowl LVI. The ad updated, shot for shot, the show’s opening montage, which used to feature James Gandolfini’s  Tony Soprano driving a Chevy truck.

A masterplan for a Tameside neighbourhood which could create nearly 2,000 new jobs has been unveiled.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorNBC hasn’t scheduled a new edition of its venerable “Tonight Show” after the Super Bowl, but viewers who stick around are going to see some new late-night antics courtesy of Jimmy Fallon.As part of an alliance with Samsung Electronics, Fallon will star in a 60-second post-game commercial, paying homage to movies as part of a tie in to the Super Bowl taking place this year in Los Angeles. In doing so, he will also highlight how Samsung’s Galaxy S22 Ultra uses features such as super steady video capturing, “nightography,” and more.“We are already doing traditional media advertising like 30 second and 15 second ads that we run, but we know the story comes through much more impactfully and in a much more resonant way when we tell a very contextual story,” says Janet Lee, who oversees marketing for Samsung’s mobile business in the U.S.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorMSNBC’s “Morning Joe” will soon become a mid-morning affair when the cable-news outlet expands it to four hours starting April 4.MSNBC plans to air the program from its usual starting point at 6 a.m. until 10 a.m. now, pre-empting a 9 o’clock hour that had previously been earmarked for more traditional news coverage.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorEver since Jeff Zucker seized the reins at CNN in early 2013, the cable-news network has been one of loudest voices in media circles. Now, even though Discovery didn’t push the executive out, there’s a sense the company will, after it buys CNN along with the rest of WarnerMedia, look to turn down the volume.In the Zucker era, CNN became more swashbuckling, more colorful, and indeed, more opinionated than it ever was under the aegis of its founder Ted Turner, or his successors at the former Time Warner. CNN went from delivering headlines to being in the headlines.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorAlex Wagner is returning to MSNBC.Wagner, who anchored a noontime hour on MSNBC before moving out as the network placed new emphasis on covering breaking news in daytime hours, will work as a senior political analyst adn guest anchor for the NBCUniversal-backed outlet. She joins as many big TV-news organizations are gearing up for coverage of the U.S.

Stephanie Ruhle said that she will debut as the permanent host of MSNBC’s 11 PM hour on March 2.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorKatie Nolan, the sportscaster who has made a name for herself in the world of digital content, is taking her talents to NBC Sports.Nolan is joining the NBC Olympics team, and is expected to create daily short-form content, which will be distributed across both traditional and digital platforms.“We are excited to welcome Katie to Team NBC Olympics, where her unique storytelling ability will be utilized across multiple platforms,” said Rebecca Chatman, vice president and coordinating producer for NBC Olympics, in a prepared statement. Nolan left ESPN in September.“I always dreamed I’d go to the Olympics one day,” Nolan said in a statement.

State of the Union address, the person said.Ali Velshi, her most frequent substitute, and other MSNBC personalities are expected to sub for her.It could be a glimpse into MSNBC's future. It has been widely reported that Maddow will step back from hosting her program every night as part of a new contract with the network, although neither she nor the network has publicly commented on that.It was not immediately clear what her podcast project will be.

Rachel Maddow has announced that she’ll be taking a leave of absence from MSNBC.

Rachel Maddow plans to announce on her show on Monday that she will be taking a hiatus to work on other projects.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorDan Lovinger, a veteran ad-sales executive who has helped supervised outreach to advertisers for NBCUniversal venues ranging from prime-time TV shows to “Sunday Night Football” and the Super Bowl, is getting a new assignment.Lovinger will oversee all efforts aimed at getting advertisers to sponsor NBCUniversal’s Olympics and Paralympics broadcasts, a pillar of the company’s programming strategy representing hundreds of hours worth of some of TV’s highest-priced inventory. Lovinger, who had been an executive vice president, has been elevated to president, and will report directly to Linda Yaccarino, NBCU’s global chairman of advertising sales and partnerships.

Brian Steinberg Senior TV EditorABC News is planning a wide array of special coverage in February devoted to Black History Month, including two primetime specials and bespoke segments across the news division’s various programs.“While we remain dedicated to telling the impactful and important stories around the Black community all year long, ABC News will provide special coverage throughout February to salute Black excellence,” said Kim Godwin, president of ABC News, in a prepared statement. “We will celebrate and honor Black culture across all programs and platforms, taking an in-depth look at issues past and present while spotlighting those who have overcome significant obstacles and paved the way for a better future.”The ABC News series “Soul of a Nation” will present “Screen Queens Rising” on Thursday, February 3 at 8 p.m..