MSNBC’s Rising Stars Joshua Johnson and Alicia Menendez Get Expanded Weekend Slots

NEW YORK – Premiering September 19, MSNBC is rolling out its new weekend prime-time lineup featuring anchors Alicia Menendez and Joshua Johnson as part of the network’s continued investment in live programming on Saturdays and Sundays.

At the height of both an election year and a global pandemic, MSNBC is doubling down on its commitment to delivering breaking news coverage and analysis seven days a week.

“American Voices with Alicia Menendez” will air on Saturdays and Sundays from 6 to 8 p.m. ET. MSNBC anchor Alicia Menendez will focus on the biggest political stories of the week while elevating news on under-reported issues with under-represented voices that require a national platform.

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“The Week with Joshua Johnson” will air Saturdays and Sundays from 8 to 10 p.m. ET. MSNBC anchor Joshua Johnson will connect everyday people, newsmakers and trailblazers for candid conversations about each week’s big stories, thinking through the challenges we all face and prepping viewers for the days ahead.

MSNBC’s new weekend lineup also includes anchor Yasmin Vossoughian who will host “MSNBC Live” Saturdays and Sunday from 3 to 5 p.m. ET. Vossoughian will deliver sharp reporting and analysis from years of international journalism taking a no-nonsense look at the day’s important stories and focusing on solution-based conversations.

On top of MSNBC’s weekend expansion, the network is bringing back its weekday morning show “Way Too Early” Monday through Friday at 5 a.m. ET hosted by Kasie Hunt. A campaign-trail veteran and widely sourced congressional beat reporter, Hunt will bring her expert reporting and deep bench of sources on both sides of the aisle to keep viewers updated with the latest on what’s driving the day in Washington. “Way Too Early with Kasie Hunt” will be anchored from the nation’s capital and will cover both the day’s inside-the-beltway political news as well as the critical stories shaping the national conversation leading into “Morning Joe.” The show launches September 21.

MSNBC ended the second quarter dominated by major breaking news with historic ratings records and double-digit growth across key dayparts, according to Nielsen. Driven by a commitment to breaking news and analysis, MSNBC weekend total day (Sa-Su 6am-6am) delivered its highest-rated quarter ever averaging 778K total viewers, up +61% compared to 2Q19 and up +73% in A25-54 averaging 130K viewers.