Financially Strapped MSNBC Staffers FUMING At Rachel Maddow's $30 Million Contract Following Mass Layoffs
Jan. 23 2023, Published 6:30 p.m. ET
MSNB-see ya later! Morale is at an all-time low at MSNBC after nearly 70 behind-the-scenes staffers were kicked to the curb — and the mass firing has left survivors fuming over cable host Rachel Maddow's $30 million deal, RadarOnline.com has learned.
MSNBC hotshot Maddow, 49, hauls home the hefty annual salary — despite whittling down her on-air responsibilities at the network to one day per week after inking her 2021 deal.
"Rachel has gone from being the hero of the network to the most hated," dished an insider.
"People in TV are not rich. The hosts are rich. Everyone else is struggling to pay their rents and raise their families," the source added.
The staffing shuffle even ousted Noah Oppenheim, who headed NBC Universal's broadcast news division, and pushed MSNBC news gal Hallie Jackson from her 3 PM on-air slot to NBC New's streaming app, where she'll host Hallie Jackson NOW.
Meanwhile, sources spilled that the shocking purge left the rank and file fearing they'll be next on the chopping block. Viewership at MSNBC plummeted 19 percent in 2022 over the prior year as FOX News continues to eat its lunch.
"With rantings dropping, everyone knows more people are going to get fired," the insider blabbed.
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Maddow announced she was stepping down from her daily duties and would only be hosting once a week on Mondays, despite her multimillion-dollar contract.
Sources told RadarOnline.com that when Alex Wagner was named as her replacement, it didn't go over well.
Insiders spilled that Maddow, her fellow MSNBC hosts, and other anchors at the network weren't happy with Wagner's promotion, with many wondering if she could bring in the eyeballs for the coveted timeslot.
Within the first month of her takeover, Wagner only delivered mediocre ratings — confirming their fears.
One person has always been in Wagner's corner, and that's the person who gave her the job.
"She pulls in perspective. She brings in some of the context throughout her discussion," MSNBC president Rashida Jones said when announcing Wagner’s promotion. "She knows politics. She knows everything from foreign policy to culture."
"This is not a show where our hair is on fire and we're yelling past each other, and we're creating these manufactured moments of tension," Jones said in another interview. "I really want the takeaway from this show to be a better understanding of what's happening in the world."
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