Apple TV Plus has announced a July 10 premiere date for its new comedic drama series Sunny, produced by and starring Rashida Jones.

Jones stars in the 10-episode series as an American woman living in Japan who, after her husband and son disappear in a plane crash, receives a domestic robot named Sunny to help fill the void in her life. Initially rejecting the robot, she eventually builds an unexpected friendship with Sunny as she investigates what really happened to her family.

Along with Jones, who also starred in Apple TV Plus’s Silo series, Sunny is executive-produced by Katie Robbins, Hidetoshi Nishijima, Joanna Sotomura, Judy Ongg, YOU, annie the clumsy and Jun Kumimura. The series is produced by A24. 

Sunny is the second collaboration between Apple TV Plus, A24 and Jones following the film On the Rocks.

MSNBC political news analyst Alex Wagner will take over the network’s 9 p.m. time slot over four nights beginning August 16, replacing Rachel Maddow, who will anchor the time slot on Mondays, the network said.

The move completes the network’s makeover of the 9 p.m. hour after Maddow in May moved to a weekly schedule with shows on Monday. For the rest of the week, The Rachel Maddow Show has featured rotating guest hosts. Maddow had hosted the ratings-strong The Rachel Maddow Show daily since 2008.

Also: Rachel Maddow to Go on Hiatus

After a stint on MSNBC in the early 2010s, Wagner returned to the cable news network in February as a senior political analyst and guest anchor. Prior to that, Wagner served as co-host and executive producer of Showtime's political docuseries The Circus. She also served as a co-host of CBS This Morning: Saturday and as senior editor at The Atlantic. 

Along with appearing on Mondays, Maddow — who in 2021 signed a new deal with NBCUniversal and MSNBC ‚ will join MSNBC for special coverage, breaking news events and specials on MSNBC and streaming, the network said. ■

“Alex Wagner in the 9 p.m. hour was a clear choice,” MSNBC president Rashida Jones said in a statement. “Her unique perspective — built on more than two decades in journalism — and tenacious reporting in the U.S. and abroad will help our audiences contextualize what matters. I am looking forward to watching Alex thrive in MSNBC’s primetime lineup.“ ▪️

MSNBC has named Stephanie Ruhle as the replacement for Brian Williams as host of The 11th Hour program, network president Rashida Jones confirmed Thursday. 

Ruhle, who currently anchors the news network’s 9 a.m. hour, will fill the hole left by Williams’ departure from the network in December. The network’s Morning Joe series will expand to four hours to include the 9 a.m. time slot, Jones said in an internal memo.

Jones — who took over as MSNBC president in January 2021 — said in the memo that the moves “strengthen our lineup and set us up for success as we enter what is sure to be a consequential year.”  

The full memo appears below: 

All, 

I’m delighted to share two significant programming updates that strengthen our lineup and set us up for success as we enter what is sure to be a consequential year.

Morning Joe, our premier morning program for the last 15 years, will be expanding to four hours, to 10 a.m. This expansion will give us an opportunity to extend the reach of the program, which has become so well known for its signature perspective and analysis, as well as its news-making exclusive interviews with top lawmakers, senior government officials and thought leaders. 

Stephanie Ruhle, who had been anchoring the 9 a.m. slot, will take over as host of The 11th Hour, bringing her business acumen, hard-hitting interview style and original reporting to the viewers in that slot. Since joining MSNBC in 2016, Stephanie has been a staple of our dayside anchor team and a trusted voice on topics at the intersection of politics, finance and international business. In addition to bringing her decades-long experience to The 11th Hour, Stephanie will continue to appear across all platforms as NBC News Senior Business Analyst. 

Please join me in congratulating the Morning Joe and The 11th Hour teams on these exciting new opportunities.

The Oct. 4 WICT Leadership Conference kicks off the cable industry’s Diversity Week festivities, which for the second straight year will be held virtually and also includes the NAMIC Conference (Oct. 5-8) and The Walter Kaitz Foundation fundraising event (Oct. 6). 

The two-day WICT Conference, with its theme of “Together We Shine, Together We Thrive,” will feature several sessions and keynote speakers that will look to empower its members as well as conference attendees to thrive in a challenging business environment. WICT President and CEO Maria Brennan spoke to Multichannel News regarding the organization’s outlook for this year’s conference. An edited version of the interview appears below.

Multichannel News: Are you satisfied with the attendance numbers heading into the virtual conference?

Maria Brennan: I'm more than satisfied. I said that I would be happy if we got more than 800 [attendees] by conference time and we are at 799 so I’m pretty confident we’ll get there. Last year as you may recall we set a record for attendance of about 840 -- it would be nice to get there, but I've been very, very pleased. I think it’s a really good indication that even though we may have some virtual learning fatigue, there's still always time to make the time for the Leadership Conference and Diversity Week. I think it’s a good sign that people still have it in them to participate in the work we do to bring Diversity Week to the masses, along with NAMIC and the Walter Kaitz Foundation.

MCN: You mentioned record attendance for last year’s conference. Has the industry been able to maintain the momentum for WICT's diversity and equality efforts from last year?

MB: Absolutely, and we're now at a very critical inflection point: women in terms of the workforce lost a lot of ground in a year and a half. In fact, the Women's Economic Forum has the last year and a half or two years setting back women in the workforce a good three decades behind what it was before the pandemic. That’s the bad news, but here's the good news:  we can also recover exponentially quicker with a bit of a course correction. That's why events like this are so important. We're certainly teaching and talking about the business of the business, but we're also teaching and instilling really good practices when it comes to recruiting, retaining and advancing women and people of color. The global pandemic hurt women in the workforce, but it can also help us get to parody quicker if we take these issues seriously and work collaboratively and collectively to try to stop that course. I know we work in an industry that believes in the diversity imperative, so we know that the companies we work with are going to put resources toward it. 

MCN: What are some of the highlights of this year’s conference? 

MB: I bet I say this every year, but I think this is one of the most extraordinary collections of speakers we’ve ever had. I’m really excited and proud about where we are and I think that’s why we’ve seen our numbers stay strong from year to year. We have some tremendous general sessions and keynote speakers, including [MSNBC President] Rashida Jones. One of the things that we know in terms of building diversity is that it starts in the C-suite. Women are going to get parity with men exponentially quicker when men are part of the solution. That’s why I’m excited about the CEO panel that we’re doing. There will be some real important CEOs who really are putting forward best practices when it comes to putting women at all different levels within the company, including [Cox Communications President and CEO] Pat Esser, [Altice USA CEO] Dexter Goei, [Urban One CEO] Alfred Liggins and [Charter Communications CFO] Chris Winfrey. I’m also a huge fan of our 'Pearls of Wisdom' session as well as our 'Beyond the Hashtag:#LoveIsLove' session. Niecy Nash is going to preempt the session with lovely remarks about her journey.

MCN: WICT is planning to hold the Leadership Conference in person next year. Does having gone virtual for two straight years present some challenges for the conference in 2022? 

MB: It does, but here’s the silver lining: I hope there will never be a WICT Leadership Conference that is strictly in person. I think we should always make it hybrid. We have to meet people where they are. Not everybody is going to want to get back in a crowded room right away. Also, some people just don't have the clearance to get on a plane and go to New York for a few days. We can really make this a more inclusive experience by reformatting it based on what we've learned in an entirely virtual scenario. 

BET will look to create premium television series and films as part of BET Studios, a new studio production company offering equity ownership for Black content creators, the network said Wednesday.

The studio venture will be headed by former Warner Bros. Television executive Aisha Summers-Burke, who will report to BET president Scott Mills and will be responsible for working collaboratively with the studio’s creative partners and key internal constituencies. Principal partners in the venture include content producers Kenya Barris, Rashida Jones and Aaron Rahsaan Thomas.  

BET Studios will look to develop content for BET and sister streaming service BET Plus as well as other ViacomCBS-owned networks including Paramount Plus, Showtime, CBS and Nickelodeon, according to the company. The service will also select third-party platforms that seek content from rising Black creatives. 

“The demand for premium content from Black creators has accelerated dramatically as a result of both the rapidly changing media and social landscapes,” Mills said in a statement. “BET, with our 40-year legacy of celebrating Black culture and the full power of the ViacomCBS ecosystem, is uniquely positioned to service this demand. As a company with its origin in Black entrepreneurship, we are incredibly excited to create the first major studio to provide Black creators with ownership, creative freedom and the unparalleled partnership and support of BET. I am thrilled to have Aisha at the helm of this venture, and I look forward to our collaboration with our amazing creative partners in BET Studios.” 

Added David Nevins, chief content officer, scripted originals for Paramount Plus and chairman and CEO of Showtime Networks: “BET Studios is an exciting and novel extension of the storied BET brand, and we have a structure well-suited to our times to bring top talent into this production company with real ownership. Scott Mills deserves tremendous credit for driving this innovative new business from idea to reality – and Kenya, Rashida and Aaron, could not be a more talented or in-demand group to lead this venture along with Aisha Summers.” 

Also Read: Showtime Head David Nevins Put in Charge of Paramount TV Studios

Burke, who most recently served as VP of scripted television for the cable and streaming division of Warner Horizon before it merged with Warner Bros. TV in 2020, said that the venture will continue to build on BET's legacy of offering quality programming to the Black community. 

“With the launch of BET Studios, we are excited to introduce a new model that opens the aperture to a broad array of platforms and supports the full range of content from Black creators,” she said. “This entrepreneurial environment offers creatives the opportunity to produce diverse high-end content reflecting all aspects of entertainment.”

AMC NETWORKS

AMC Networks has named Brett Dismuke general manager of WE tv and Urban Movie Channel, adding oversight of the female-focused network to his duties. Dismuke had been chief content officer of UMC since January. 

CPB

Kathryn Washington was elevated to senior VP, television content at the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, charged with funding “innovative, diverse and creative programming.” She was VP, television content. 

CROWN MEDIA

Lara Richardson has joined Hallmark Channel parent Crown Media Family Networks as chief marketing officer. She comes from Discovery, where she was group executive VP of marketing for Discovery and Science Channel.

DISCOVERY

Jim Keller has joined Discovery as executive VP, digital ad sales and advanced advertising, based in New York and tasked with driving digital revenue for Discovery Plus. He was VP, head of national advertising sales at Hulu.

FOX NEWS

Tom Lowell was named executive VP and managing editor of news at Fox News Channel, tasked with overseeing daytime coverage. He had been VP and managing editor of news since 2016, overseeing network newsgathering. 

INTEGRAL AD SCIENCE

Digital ad verification firm Integral Ad Science has tapped Mehul Desai as country head, India. He most recently was chief operating officer at Scan-IT, where he led technical and business operations. 

MARKETCAST

Analytics firm MarketCast has added Zoë Friend as corporate senior VP of customer research and insights. She led a team of 40 as head of Netflix’s content and marketing research practice for five years. 

MSNBC

Rashida Jones was named president of MSNBC, succeeding 25-year veteran Phil Griffin at the helm of the cable news network. She had been a senior VP at NBC News and MSNBC.

PALEY CENTER

Jamitha Fields was named to the new post of VP of diversity, inclusion and engagement at The Paley Center for Media. She had worked as the organization’s VP of development and client services for four years.

RIEDEL 

Riedel Communications, a provider of IP-enabled video solutions, has promoted Renaud Lavoie to senior VP, technology. He had worked as managing director of Riedel Montreal for about a year. 

WARNERMEDIA

Jennifer Biry was named chief financial officer at WarnerMedia, succeeding now-AT&T CFO Pascal Desroches. She was most recently CFO of AT&T Communications’ mobility and entertainment organizations. 

WNET GROUP

The WNET Group in New York has named James King as the new artistic director of its ALL ARTS multimedia platform. He is the former managing director of Harlem Stage, also in New York. 

BRIEFLY NOTED

Other industry execs making moves

Adriana Diaz and Jericka Duncan have been named anchors of CBS Weekend News. Diaz will anchor Saturdays from Chicago and Duncan will anchor Sundays from New York. … Lara Richardson was named chief marketing officer at Crown Media Family Networks. She had been group executive VP of marketing for Discovery and Science Channel. … Kids’ content company Genius Brands International has promoted Michael Jaffa to chief operating officer. He was general counsel and senior VP of business affairs. … Hearst Television has upped Matt Helf to director of its HTV Design unit in Orlando. He had been a brand research manager. … Mission Broadcasting has promoted Taunya Tourville-Bennett to station manager and general sales manager of duopoly KWBQ/KASY Albuquerque, New Mexico. She had been local sales manager at the stations. … David Solomon was named CEO at independent cable ad rep firm Viamedia. He had been chief revenue officer. … Janet Dewart Bell has been named as chair of the Women’s Media Center. She is president of nonprofit organization LEAD Intergenerational Solutions.

Rashida Jones, a senior VP at NBC News and MSNBC, will become president of the cable news network, effective Feb. 1.

Jones will succeed Phil Griffin, who has been at the channel for 25 years and became president in 2008.

The moves were announced by Cesar Conde, who moved from NBCU’s Telemundo to head the NBCUniversal News Group earlier this year.

Conde had announced a goal of making the staff of NBC News to be 50% women and 50% people of color.

The move also comes after a wild presidential election that drove up cable news ratings and revenue.

"Rashida knows and understands MSNBC, in part because it's where she started when she first joined NBCU seven years ago," Conde said in an email to news staffers. "She knows that it is the people who work here that make it great, and she understands its culture. She also appreciates the impact and potential of the brand."

In his own memo to staff, Griffin said that after the election he’d told Conde and NBCU CEO Jeff Shell that it was time to hang them up.

“I admire the commitment, the camaraderie, the scrappiness, the pure love everyone has for this place. MSNBC is about humanity. The creativity, the compassion, the fact you all care so much. And that is what I will miss the most,” he said. 

"At MSNBC, Phil has built something remarkable," Conde wrote. "He leaves the network in the best shape it has ever been.” 

“We congratulate Rashida Jones for making history as the first Black woman to run a major TV news operation," said Bridgett Todd, communications director of women's advocacy group UltraViolet. "It’s clear that Jones’ experience at NBC as an executive, former managing editor and producer has prepared her well to take on this role. Having a Black woman run a major TV news operation is an important first step in advancing the voices and concerns of Black women in America. This is an important moment for cable news TV and an encouraging sign that MSNBC is continuing to recognize the important role that Black women play in our national discourse."

AMC will look to expand its original series lineup with the greenlighting of two new series, 61st Street and Kevin Can F**k Himself.

Courtroom drama 61st Street, executive produced by Michael B. Jordan and Alana Mayo of Outlier Society (OWN’s David Makes Man), will receive a two-season order with eight episodes per season, according to network officials. The series revolves around Moses Johnson, a promising, black high school athlete who is swept up into the infamously corrupt Chicago criminal justice system, according to AMC.

The 10-episode Kevin Can F**k Himself, from creator Valerie Armstrong (Lodge 49) and executive produced by Rashida Jones and Will McCormack (Claws) along with Craig DiGregorio, explores what happens when a stereotypical TV sitcom wife escapes her confines and forces the world to let her take the lead, said the network. 

"At AMC we believe in shows that have startling vision and fresh voice, with something to say," said Said Sarah Barnett, president of AMC Networks Entertainment Group & AMC Studios in a statement. "These two projects couldn’t be more in our sweet spot, as both have something big to say, and a genius way of saying it."

TNT has teamed with comedian Rashida Jones to develop a scripted dramedy pilot Claws, the network said Wednesday.

The pilot, executively produced by Jones and Will McCormack (Toy Story 4) revolves around the rise of five diverse and treacherous Florida manicurists in the traditionally male world of organize crime, said network officials.

Claws is written by co-executive producer Eliot Laurence (Welcome To Me).

The pilot marks Jones' second project for Turner this year, following her starring role in TBS’ Angie Tribeca.

Netflix has acquired worldwide rights to the porn-themed documentary Hot Girls Wanted, the network said Sunday.

The film, which debuted at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, explores the world of professional “amateur” porn and the steady stream of  young girls who cycle through it, said company officials.

Hot Girls Wanted is directed by Jill Bauer and Ronna Gradus and produced by Rashida Jones, Bauer, Gradus and Brittany Huckabee, who also serves as writer/editor. The film will debut later this year, according to Netflix.

“Jill and Ronna have exposed a shocking world of hope and heartbreak,” said Erik Barmack, Netflix vice president of Global Independent Content in a statement. “The filmmakers gained unprecedented access into a world never documented until now, and we are proud to bring their unflinching work to a global audience.”