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Can MS survive without NBC? Inside CEO Mark Lazarus’ efforts to save cable’s great brands

Oct 14, 2025, 10:21am EDT
Media
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The Scene

Listen to the latest episode of Mixed Signals here.

MSNBC and 10 other television channels, from CNBC to Golf Channel, are splitting from NBC over the next several weeks to form a new digital-focused, publicly traded company called Versant.

In his first interview about the new “SpinCo,” Ben and Max talk to CEO Mark Lazarus about how he envisions the company will operate, how he wants to grow each of the brands, and what independent outlets he’s looking to acquire.

They also discuss how he looks at MSNBC and progressive media’s place in the company and how he’s navigating the media environment under the current administration and Brendan Carr’s FCC.

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