Top of the Ticker: The New York Times reports that Versant, the parent company of MS NOW and CNBC, is one of many suitors interested in acquiring Vox’s podcast division.
Acquisition talks are in their early stages, according to the Times, but if Versant succeeds in this purchase, it will fulfill the media company’s focus on diversifying its portfolio and revenue streams beyond its cable networks.
Vox’s podcast network produces nearly 40 podcasts. Should they all fall under the Versant umbrella, it would align well with Versant’s two of four core verticals: political news & opinion and sports & genre entertainment.
No Kings protest coverage: C-SPAN and MS NOW have shared their coverage plans for this weekend’s No Kings protests taking place across the country. C-SPAN will cover the No Kings national flagship rally at the Capitol in Saint Paul, Minnesota, on Saturday. MS NOW says its reporters will join coverage from protest locations across the nation, including Antonia Hylton from New York City, Jake Traylor in West Palm Beach, Maya Eaglin in Chicago, Laura Haefeli from Minneapolis, Rosa Flores in Austin, Arielle Hixson in Washington, D.C., and Jacob Soboroff from Los Angeles.
Signing off: Friday was CNN Early Start’s Rahel Solomon’s last broadcast with the network. On Monday, Solomon announced that this was her final week with the network, calling her tenure at CNN an “honor” and a “privilege.” She did not immediately share what her next move is, but she’s excited “about this next chapter.” A CNN spokesperson said, “We are grateful to Rahel for all her contributions to CNN over the past four years and are supportive of her decision. We wish her all the best in her next chapter.”
A message from Rahel Solomon: pic.twitter.com/6HMOSZTdsZ
— CNN Early Start with Rahel Solomon (@EarlyStart) March 23, 2026
New Home: Former CBS News correspondent Scott MacFarlane has landed at MeidasTouch, where he will be their chief Washington correspondent and anchor for the digital network. In a LinkedIn post, MacFarlane says he will anchor a daily program, Scott MacFarlane Reports, bringing his many years of enterprising reporting to MeidasTouch’s audience.
Morning extension: Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski have signed contract extensions with MS NOW, continuing with the network beyond the 2028 election. In addition to renewing their contracts, the Morning Joe co-hosts will see a reduction in their on-air workload, with the morning show moving back to a 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. ET schedule in June.
New assignments: On Tuesday, CNBC’s editor in chief, David Cho, announced new roles for some of the network’s reporters. Brandon Gomez expanded his reporting as CNBC’s business of food and wellness reporter. Tech correspondent MacKenzie Sigalos will take on coverage of Alphabet and Apple, as well as fintech and the gig economy, including Uber, Airbnb, and DoorDash. Kate Rooney will add Microsoft to her portfolio, and Annika Kim Constantino will take on cross-platform coverage of the health insurance industry, U.S. health policy, and drug pricing for federal insurance programs.
New BBC chief: Matt Brittin has been named as the new director general for BBC. Brittin, who begins his new assignment on May 18, was previously with Google and will be responsible for the creative, editorial, and operational leadership of the BBC within the United Kingdom and around the globe. He joins the media house at a time of turmoil, as it’s facing a $10 billion lawsuit brought by President Donald Trump over a Panorama documentary that aired in the U.K. a week before the 2024 presidential election. The BBC calls the lawsuit “meritless.”
Back on the air: Starting Friday at 8 p.m. ET, former CNN anchor Alisyn Camerota will premiere her new series for Scripps News, Connected with Alisyn Camerota. The six-episode series will feature one-on-one conversations with sports leaders, politicians, musicians, journalists, and regular people caught in extraordinary situations. Camerota’s first guest will be former CNN anchor Don Lemon.
Book launch: PBS News staffers recently celebrated the launch and publication of their colleague Geoff Bennett’s new book, “Black Out Loud.” The book explores how Black sitcoms and sketch comedy from the 1990s reshaped American television. Staffers gathered at the Astro Beer Hall in Arlington, Virginia, on Wednesday, March 18, with Bennett’s co-anchor and co-managing editor, Amna Nawaz, and PBS News’ senior executive producer, Sara Just, serving as hosts of the soiree. Bennett, who has been doing the media rounds promoting the book, said on Morning Joe on Thursday that he approached writing the new book “with the instincts of a journalist and the heart of a fan.”
Thanks to Morning Joe for having me on to talk about my new book, Black Out Loud — and the powerful ways culture can move a country.
Grab your copy of “Black Out Loud: The Revolutionary History of Black Comedy from Vaudeville to ‘90s Sitcoms” wherever books are sold. pic.twitter.com/6C9lrG8yHl
— Geoff Bennett (@GeoffRBennett) March 26, 2026