Edited by: Fern Sidman

MSNBC, the left-leaning cable news channel, has announced a major shakeup in its weekend lineup, leading to the cancellation of anchor Mehdi Hasan’s prime-time talk show, according to a recent report in the New York Post. The decision comes amidst a significant drop in ratings and controversies surrounding Hasan’s anti-Israel views.

Sources close to the network suggest that MSNBC is aggressively cutting costs, and Hasan’s show became a casualty in this effort. As was reported by the Post, insiders have hinted that the channel might have considered Hasan’s perspective as too far from the mainstream.

“I think they thought (Hasan’s) point of view was a little too out of the mainstream if you know what I mean,” a source with knowledge of the situation told The Post.

However, MSNBC President Rashida Jones provided a different explanation, stating that the move is part of a broader plan to revamp the weekend lineup in preparation for the 2024 presidential election, the Post report added.

“As Decision 2024 ramps up, the show will provide thoughtful analysis and coverage on the state of our country from three trusted voices familiar to the MSNBC audience,” Jones told staffers in a memo.

As of now, Mehdi Hasan will transition to the role of an on-camera analyst and fill-in host across MSNBC and Peacock, according to the online news site Semafor, which was the first to report the move, the Post report said.  This decision follows criticism directed at Hasan, along with fellow anchors Ali Velshi and Ayman Mohyeldin, for their commentary following the deadly terror attack by Hamas in Israel on October 7.

Despite MSNBC’s denial of reports claiming censorship due to pro-Hamas viewpoints, the controversy seems to have contributed to the decision to restructure the weekend programming. The report in the Post also said that the network will introduce a two-hour morning program titled “The Weekend” featuring Alicia Menendez, Symone Sanders-Townsend, and Michael Steele, aiming to refocus efforts on the morning segment, which is considered more lucrative.

The new show is set to air from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. starting January 13, 2024. MSNBC declined to comment to the Post on the specific reasons for Hasan’s show cancellation but emphasized the broader strategy of reshaping its weekend content.

Mehdi Hasan began hosting “The Mehdi Hasan Show” on Sunday nights at 8 p.m. in 2021, joining MSNBC after working at Qatar-backed Al Jazeera English news network and contributing to the left-leaning publication The Intercept, as was reported by the Post. The decision to move Hasan into a different role reflects MSNBC’s ongoing efforts to navigate internal and external controversies while aligning its programming with audience preferences.

Hasan, a British-born commentator, faced criticism for his narrative attributing the deadly strike on al-Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza to Israel. He further stoked tensions by drawing comparisons between Israel’s actions in Gaza and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Post also reported that on November 16, Hasan engaged in a heated on-air exchange with Israeli government adviser Mark Regev, challenging Israel’s decision-making regarding military strikes in Gaza.

The decline in Hasan’s ratings has been a significant factor in the network’s decision.The Post reported that  Nielsen data reveals a steady decrease in viewership over the past two months. On November 12, Hasan hit a low point with just 37,000 viewers in the key 25-54 demographic and 411,000 total viewers, trailing behind competitors at Fox and CNN, the Post report added.

In light of these developments, MSNBC will fill the 8 p.m. time slot with Ayman Mohyeldin, whose 7 p.m. show will be extended to two hours. According to sources, MSNBC has been more pleased with Mohyeldin’s recent performance, describing him as someone who has been “playing ball,” the Post report said.

Ali Velshi, another prominent anchor of Muslim extraction at MSNBC, will host a two-hour talk show on both Saturday and Sunday starting at 10 a.m. Eastern time, as was indicated in the Post report. Velshi has reportedly been “on the hot seat” following an incident on October 7.

This move to restructure the weekend lineup reflects MSNBC’s efforts to address both internal controversies and audience preferences. Earlier this year, Hasan faced allegations of plagiarism for a column he wrote over two decades ago. The Post report said that he has also apologized for past remarks deemed offensive, including comparing non-Muslims to “animals” and linking homosexuals to “pedophiles” and “sexual deviants.”