MSNBC has parted ways with weekend host Tiffany Cross after less than two years.
The network chose not to renew her contract and will no longer air her weekend commentary show, The Cross Connection, according to Variety, which was the first outlet to report the decision.
The production staff on the show was notified Friday morning and told Cross’ exit is effective immediately. Moving forward, a rotating group of MSNBC on-air talent will anchor in the timeslot until a permanent replacement is found.
Cross’ progressive political and cultural commentary show aired Saturdays from 10 a.m. ET to 12 p.m. ET.
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Neither Cross nor MSNBC has commented on the decision.
Cross had one of the higher-rated weekend shows on MSNBC and she was drawing more than 500,000 viewers per episode, according to Nielsen data. About 35 percent of her audience was Black.
The New York Post said Cross was approached by MSNBC management several times about “inflammatory comments on race.”
Variety added that her relationship with MSNBC and NBC News brass became “frayed” after executives expressed concerns about Cross’ statements regarding conservative hosts on other networks.
Cross was a frequent target of conservatives. Just last month, Fox News host Tucker Carlson accused her of “race hate” and insisted she was “spewing hateful and racist takes” about white people.
Carlson, who is no stranger to controversy himself, called for MSNBC’s parent company to do something. “Why are they putting this on air? Why are they allowing this?” he said on Tucker Carlson Tonight.
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Cross Connection launched in December 2020, and welcomed thought leaders, influencers and journalists to discuss news about communities of color across the country.
Cross was hired as the cable news network tried to draw a more diverse audience.
She previously worked as Washington, DC bureau chief of BET News and as the liaison to the Obama Administration for BET Networks where she covered Capitol Hill, produced political specials, and oversaw the daily operations of the news department. She was also a 2020 Resident Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics.
Earlier in her career, she worked as an associate producer at CNN, and as a field producer for America’s Most Wanted and Discovery Communications.
She grew up in Atlanta and attended Clark Atlanta University, where she studied Mass Communications with an emphasis on radio, TV, and film.
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