MSNBC chairman Andy Lack is determined to replace prime-time host Lawrence O’Donnell in the 10 p.m. ET time slot with Brian Williams after O’Donnell’s current contract is up in four weeks, a network insider told TheWrap.
O’Donnell’s show, “The Last Word,” has been a ratings hit lately with the red-hot Rachel Maddow serving as its lead-in. As recently as Thursday night, O’Donnell was the second-most watched program in cable news, behind only Maddow. “The Last Word” won its 10 p.m. ET timeslot in both total viewers and the key news demo of adults age 25-54.
At least one insider close to the situation told TheWrap that MSNBC has had only preliminary discussions with O’Donnell’s team to negotiate a new deal — though it is unclear if those talks were initiated since a Sunday HuffPost story questioning the host’s future at the network.