(LibertySociety.com) – MSNBC hosts Joy Reid and Stephanie Ruhle are reportedly being asked to take salary reductions as the network faces significant ratings challenges. According to The Ankler, both hosts are in negotiations for new deals that would involve lower pay. Ruhle, who anchors The 11th Hour on weeknights at 11 p.m., currently earns $2 million annually, while Reid, host of The ReidOut at 8 p.m., makes $3 million per year.
The reports of salary cuts come during a tumultuous period for MSNBC. Comcast, the network’s parent company, recently announced plans to spin off MSNBC into a new entity named SpinCo, creating uncertainty about its future. Employees have reportedly expressed concerns about potential layoffs, as well as possible changes to the network’s branding and operations.
Viewership has been a major challenge for MSNBC in recent years, with many of its shows experiencing significant declines. Joy Reid, who has been with the network since 2011 and took over her primetime slot in 2020, has lost nearly half her audience. According to Nielsen Media Research, her show now averages 759,000 viewers, down from a peak of 1.4 million earlier this year.
Other hosts have also struggled to maintain their audiences. Chris Hayes of All In has seen a 56% drop in viewership for his 8 p.m. time slot, while Lawrence O’Donnell’s The Last Word has lost over 40% of its audience, averaging 930,000 viewers. Even The Rachel Maddow Show, a staple of the network that now airs only on Mondays, has suffered a 43% decline. Maddow recently agreed to a $5 million annual pay cut, reducing her salary to $25 million over the next five years.
The network’s flagship morning program, Morning Joe, has faced similar struggles, including a recent 17% ratings drop following backlash over the hosts’ meeting with President-elect Donald Trump. This decline adds to an earlier 35% decrease in viewership this year.
As MSNBC transitions under the SpinCo umbrella, the network faces mounting pressure to reverse its ratings slump and redefine its position in a competitive media landscape. For hosts like Reid and Ruhle, the renegotiations could be just one part of broader efforts to reshape the channel’s future.
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