Jen Psaki, the Biden administration’s sharp-elbowed White House press secretary is a top candidate right now for Rachel Maddow’s anchor chair. Psaki is being courted by several news networks, including CNN and MSNBC, and has plans to leave the White House this year.
The idea of Psaki as a potential cable news primetime host all over town has come from Jay Sures, UTA super agent and co-president, hyping up interest, before he signed her.
As TV networks are looking to shake up their lineups, his timing couldn’t be better. Especially for CNN and MSNBC as both networks are in urgent need of new blood for their primetime shows.
After Chris Cuomo was fired from CNN late last year for being accused of s-xual misconduct, as well as revelations that he secretly aided the defense of his embattled older brother, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, the network is on the hunt for somebody to anchor its 9 PM. And they are also looking to sign talent for its upcoming streaming service CNN+, per report.
While MSNBC lost its star anchor, Maddow, who has stepped away from her 9 PM ET show in order to pursue other projects.
CNN interim co-president Amy Entelis and CNN+ programming head Rebecca Kutler rushed to Washington, DC, for a “top-secret and mission-critical recruitment assignment,” after finding out that Psaki was on the market.
NBC News chairman Cesar Conde and MSNBC president Rashida Jones made a similar voyage to meet Psaki a few days later while noting that Psaki has plans to leave the White House at some point this year and has an interest in hosting a TV news program.
ABC News and CBS News were also one of the networks that held talks with Psaki and Sures.
But for now, she is not close to signing with any network yet.
