Cable television news is about to become more inclusive. MSNBC is expanding its weekend programming with a significant shakeup, introducing a revamped version of The Weekend, which is set to launch this spring. The show will be hosted by longtime MSNBC anchor Jonathan Capehart, newly named MSNBC senior Washington correspondent Eugene Daniels, and freshly hired MSNBC Washington correspondent Jackie Alemany.
The change marks a historic moment for representation in media, as Capehart and Daniels will become the first two out gay Black men to cohost a news program together on a major network. Airing from 7 to 10 a.m. Eastern on Saturdays and Sundays, The Weekend will be based in Washington, D.C., and feature a panel-driven format. The expansion reflects MSNBC’s investment in political coverage, as it builds out an independent Washington bureau separate from NBC News.
Capehart, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and Washington Post associate editor, currently hosts The Saturday/Sunday Show With Jonathan Capehart on weekend evenings.
Daniels, who currently works as a White House correspondent and Playbook coauthor for Politico, will transition into his new role at MSNBC while continuing to serve as president of the White House Correspondents’ Association. His WHCA duties will remain separate from his MSNBC responsibilities. Alemany is currently a White House reporter for The Washington Post, where she has been for six years.