MS NOWs longest serving anchor is out as network fills schedule with podcasts

MS NOW is overhauling its weekend lineup by leaning harder into podcasts, taped programming and outside partnerships — a shakeup that will also mark the end of longtime anchor Alex Witt’s nearly three-decade run at the network.MS NOW chief Rebecca Kutler informed staff Friday that the network is revamping its weekend strategy as it invests in its direct-to-consumer business, expands content partnerships and restructures programming.The changes will include a “small” number of layoffs.Among the biggest moves is the departure of Witt, one of the network’s longest-serving anchors, who plans to leave later this year after nearly three decades with the company.

News of Witt’s departure was reported by Variety.An MS NOW spokesperson confirmed the Variety report when reached by The Post.“After nearly three decades, Alex Witt has shared with us her plans to conclude her tenure with the company later this year, following an extraordinary career,” Kutler wrote in a memo to staff.Kutler praised Witt as “a beloved longtime member of our MS NOW family” who “anchored more hours on MS NOW than any other anchor in our network’s history.”She credited the journo with guiding viewers through some of the nation’s defining news events, including the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster, Hurricane Katrina, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine.“We thank Alex for her endless contributions to the network and will have more opportunities to celebrate her in the coming months,” Kutler wrote.Witt’s weekend afternoon slot will be filled by Antonia Hylton later this summer.Hylton will anchor the network’s 1 p.m.to 4 p.m.

weekend hours, with “The Weekend: Primetime” executive producer Joy Fowlin taking over as executive producer of the new program.The programming overhaul will also bring an end to “The Weekend: Primetime,” with the final broadcast scheduled for Saturday.Its hosts — Aym...