Most TV viewers know MS NOW as a cable network. What if it were a social one, too?
When the Versant Media-backed outlet launches a new subscription-based app this week, it does so with the vow to help new members communicate not only with MS NOW anchors and correspondents, but with each other. The MS NOW “Membership” comes with two different opportunities each day for subscribers to speak directly with top personalities during live Q& A sessions; a regular suite of new content aimed at wellness; and the opportunity not just to watch MS NOW programming, but to be part of a community of like-minded people
“We are turning a one-way news experience into a two-way conversation,” says Marcus Mabry, senior vice president of content strategy for MS NOW, in a memo issued Tuesday. MS NOW will seek $7.99 per month or $79.99 annually for subscriptions to the new offering.
Each day at noon and 6 p.m. eastern, MS NOW “Membership” subscribers will be able to join regular live video conversations with anchors and reporters. Each Monday at noon, for example, subscribers can ask Rachel Maddow questions ahead of her weekly Monday-evening program. On Tuesdays, MS NOW will hold a “Morning Joe Family Meeting” — a discussion with the hosts of that show about the stories and issues of the week. Other noontime exchanges will be held with Stephanie Ruhle and Ali Velshi; Michael Steele; Jen Psaki; Jackie Alemany, Jonathan Capehart, and Eugene Daniels; and Rev. Al Sharpton.
