Following the upcoming spin-off of NBCUniversal's cable properties, MSNBC plans to keep its operations in Manhattan. Mark Lazarus, the prospective CEO of “SpinCo,” confirmed that the MSNBC location and SpinCo's corporate headquarters will remain on the island of Manhattan. While not explicitly stated, this doesn't eliminate the possibility of remaining at 30 Rockefeller Plaza, its current location and the global headquarters for NBC News. A move to a different Manhattan building remains a possibility.
According to Brian Steinberg's report in Variety, Lazarus stated that studio operations will be located alongside the newsroom. This announcement aimed to alleviate employee concerns about potential relocation impacting commutes. Earlier speculation about a move to share space with CNBC has been refuted by Lazarus. The possibility of needing temporary office space if the spinoff concludes before their new space is ready has also been raised.
CNBC will stay at its Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey facility. MSNBC will leverage this purpose-built broadcast center, opened in 2003, as its centralized technical operations hub, with some staff based there. The exact number of employees affected remains unclear. SpinCo will have a separate master control and technical hub from NBCU’s Colorado facility. MSNBC is also building a new newsroom in Washington, D.C., securing space at 400 North Capitol, the same building as NBC News.
NBC has occupied space in this building since before MSNBC’s launch. Initially, smaller studios and support spaces were rented. In September 2020, NBC News moved its D.C. bureau from Nebraska Avenue NW to 400 North Capitol, significantly expanding its presence. The exact location of MSNBC’s bureau within 400 North Capitol and its impact on NBC News’ footprint are yet to be determined. MSNBC will continue sharing space at NBC News bureaus in other locations. Whether separate staff will be hired or if they will have physically separated office space from NBC's operations is currently unclear.
Lazarus also told Variety that his team is “closing in” on a final name for the new company; “SpinCo” is currently being used as a placeholder.