And there were two.
After announcing an unorthodox three-workout structure for NBC News in 2023, the top executive overseeing news operations at NBCuniversal is bringing two units under one person’s watch.
In a memo sent to staff on Monday, Conde revealed that Janelle Rodriguez, who oversaw “NBC Nightly News” and oversaw the live streaming service NBC News, told NBC News president Rebecca Blumenstein that she was responsible for the newspaper, “Mass Communications” and “Terrain.” Rodriguez will continue to oversee operations already under her Aegis, but she no longer has a direct line to Conda as she had in the past. Libby Leist, who oversees NBC News’ multi-hour “Today” franchise, will continue reporting to Conde.
Conde said the move was made to strengthen a new ‘story-centric’ approach that further aligns our award-winning broadcast, streaming, digital and audio newsroom. This will strengthen our editorial oversight across all platforms, strengthen the original storytelling that sets our journalism apart, and expand our organization’s reach. ”
The new structure was announced on the day NBC News and MSNBC officially separated from each other, as Parent Comcast sets to rotate the majority of its cable properties into a new company called Versant.
Rodriguez and Blumenstein have made notable gains in recent months. Rodriguez oversaw the recent anchor transition at “NBC Nightly News” from Lester Holt to Tom Lama, and the broadcast drew more viewers than ABC’s No. 1 “World News Tonight” among the 25-54 viewers most coveted by advertisers. She also built the NBC News Now Streaming Service, offering fresh content for much of the day and carving out a space for news products that go beyond political news and are cast as separate from MSNBC. Blumenstein is overseeing the continued expansion of “Dateline” into digital venues such as podcasts and “Meet the Press” in the same advertiser demo. She was also at the helm as “Meet the Press,” which moved from Chuck Todd to current moderator Kristen Welker.
Still, Rodriguez has more TV news experience than Blumenstein, who has impeccable journalistic credentials earned from his career at the New York Times and Wall Street Journal.
Blumenstein’s choice to expand oversight comes as the mainstream TV-News sector grapples with difficult economics as consumers get more headlines and information from mobile video and social media. Others are also tapping executives who may not have been considered obvious candidates for years. For example, Warner Bros. Discovery’s CNN recently announced the hiring of Brigitte Rouen, who previously worked as an executive coach and consultant for ZRG Partners and the Schuttman Group. Ruane has been named “chief of organizational change” by CNN, tasked with looking at “operational and organizational design and new ways for us all to work together on shared goals.”
A desire to shake up the traditional TV-News executive structure shined in a big way on Monday when a Paramount Skydance named Bari Weiss, a digital media entrepreneur who doesn’t run a large TV operation, took over as editor of CBS News. Weiss’ hiring has garnered so much notice that it marks her as an opinion writer rather than a mainstream fact-taker, and her positions on a variety of issues appear to draw CBS News away from the neutral stance it seeks to maintain.
Conde provided details on other new initiatives at NBC News, noting the impending launch of a new NBC News subscription service. Its new products are expected to target mobile customers. NBC News has also expanded its recent foray into sports news. It expands its efforts to pivot even more strongly into sports with the launch of NBCuniversal’s NBA rights deal and prepares for coverage of the 2026 Super Bowl, World Cup and Winter Olympics. Add baseball to NFL and NBA games on Sunday nights throughout the year.
Conde also said that NBC News will soon launch a new marketing campaign. He called it “the first such campaign in modern memory” that “strengthens our reputation for rigorous, fact-based reporting that is essential and accessible on all platforms.”
Conde suggested that NBC News has more new ideas in the future. “Our strategic priorities remain focused on content, innovation and culture,” he said. Still, NBC News does everything with a two-run structure instead of three.
