Depending on the nature of the deal, Maddow could pull back on some of her duties at 9 p.m., the longtime home of her “The Rachel Maddow Show.” MSNBC has few obvious candidates to take over her primetime hour.
NBCUniversal is in the midst of working out a new content portfolio with Rachel Maddow, the linchpin of its primetime schedule. Williams’ departure adds to MSNBC’s potential scheduling woes. “He has built a fiercely loyal following for ‘The 11th Hour’ and we and our viewers will miss his penetrating questions and thoughtful commentary.” “Brian’s time at NBC has been marked by breaking countless major stories, attracting leading journalists and guests to his programs, and most especially, great resiliency,” said Rashida Jones president of MSNBC, in a memo. Williams is not looking to take a new daily anchor job at a competitor, like an evening-news program, this person said. This person suggested Williams didn’t want to keep doing the same job just to do it, but sensed he had a choice to walk away while he was still at the top of his game. Williams left of his own accord, according to a person familiar with the matter, feeling that he has done all he can over the course of a long career and eager to take a break and then see what other options may beckon.