MSNBC president Rashida Jones leaves

According to reports on Tuesday, MSNBC president Rashida Jones will step down effective immediately.

Jones, who has run the Comcast-owned cable network for four years, broke the news to staff Tuesday morning, according to Status and Variety newsletters. An MSNBC spokesperson confirmed the reports when reached by The Post.

She will be replaced on an interim basis by Rebecca Kutler, senior vice president of content strategy, according to Status.

Her departure has been widely anticipated since reports surfaced in December indicating that change was afoot at the left-leaning network.

Jones’ departure comes at a pivotal time for parent company NBCUniversal, which is preparing to spin off MSNBC and other cable properties into a new publicly traded entity, SpinCo, to be led by veteran executive Mark Lazarus.

“After four incredible years at the helm of MSNBC and 11 years at NBCU, I have made the decision to pursue new opportunities,” Jones wrote in a memo to employees.

She wrote that Lazarus has asked her to stay on for a few more months “to help guide the network through this transition period.”

Lazarus praised Jones, crediting him for “expertly navigating MSNBC through a long, relentless and unprecedented news cycle, all while leading the network to record ratings and making investments in non-linear businesses.”

“MSNBC is well positioned for the future and I am grateful that it will continue to support us during this transition,” Lazarus wrote in a memo to employees.

During her tenure, Jones led MSNBC to ratings successes as the network solidified its place as the second most-watched cable news channel behind Fox News.

CNN, the media outlet owned by Warner Bros. Discovery has lagged behind in the ratings race — coming in a distant third, according to Nielsen figures. Fox News and The Post share common ownership.

It sought to expand the channel’s reach beyond linear television by exploring live events and investing in broadcast initiatives.

But the news and opinion channel has faced declining ratings since the Nov. 5 election, which was won by President-elect Donald Trump in a landslide.

MSNBC’s declining ratings prompted the network to reinstate Rachel Maddow, who until now has only appeared once a week on the channel, as the full-time anchor of the 9pm Eastern prime time slot for at least the first few months. of this year. the second Trump administration.

This temporary schedule will continue until April 30, after which Maddow will return to her current routine only on Mondays.

Alex Wagner, who hosts the 9 p.m. Tuesday-Friday hour, will take on various duties during the first 100 days of administration.

After April 30, Wagner will return to her normal schedule.

This is a developing story. Refresh for updates.