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.
