MSNBC alumna to head up Piers Morgan’s venture

Piers Morgan has brought on former MSNBC president Rashida Jones as the chief executive of his Uncensored venture.

The presenter and journalist has also won financial backing from Raine Ventures and Antenna Group alongside the Reuben Brothers, among others.

Morgan aims to expand his flagship talk show Piers Morgan Uncensored into a digital network, building on the launch of weekly spin-off channel History Uncensored late last year, hosted by former CNN anchor Bianca Nobilo.

As chief exec, Jones will be responsible for driving audience growth and international expansion through programming, digital distribution, strategic partnerships and live events.

In her former role as president of the US cable news channel MSNBC, she broadened the programming slate across streaming, social, podcasts, film, newsletters and live events.

Morgan called her a “bold, unapologetic and dynamic leader” and “one of the sharpest minds in media”.

He added: “The ambition for Uncensored has always been to build a global home for fearless, high-engagement content that cuts through the noise. Today’s announcements will help us create exactly that…we are now positioned to create one of the biggest new media entities in the world.”

Jones said: “In today’s fragmented media world, audiences are craving real conversations grounded in authenticity, rigour, and open debate. Uncensored not only delivers that—it’s ahead of the curve.

“I can’t wait to roll up my sleeves with Piers and the team to build on the strong foundation they created and scale it into a diverse and profitable network that champions talent and dominates the biggest categories.”

Piers Morgan Uncensored, presented by Morgan, was originally broadcast on Talk TV from 2022 but was axed in favour of becoming a YouTube-only proposition. Last year, the show returned to linear TV with a weekly highlights show on 5.

Morgan, who wants to champion free speech through his channel, boasts more than 4m subscribers on YouTube.

The Raine Group advised Uncensored and its board on the capital raise.