What does MSNBC stand for? The name joins two partners: MS, the familiar short form of Microsoft, the large software company that cofounded the channel, and NBC, the National Broadcasting Company. The two firms launched the cable news channel together in 1996, and the letters simply stacked their names side by side.
The partnership did not last forever. The software company later sold its share, and NBC ran the channel on its own for many years while keeping the original letters. More recently the network moved into a separate media company and took a new name, MS NOW, which keeps the MS but gives it a new meaning.
Quick facts
Stands for
MS (Microsoft, a cofounder) + NBC (National Broadcasting Company)Type
Initialism made from two company namesHow to say it
M S N B CLaunched
1996, as a cable news channelKnown for
News coverage plus talk and analysis programsNew name
Not to be confused with
NBC News, the broadcast network's news division
What does MSNBC stand for, piece by piece?
| Letters | Came from | Role at launch |
|---|---|---|
| MS | Microsoft, the software company that cofounded the channel | Partner bringing the online side |
| N | National | Part of the broadcaster's name |
| B | Broadcasting | Part of the broadcaster's name |
| C | Company | Part of the broadcaster's name |
The MS half was a short form the software maker already used for itself, so viewers at the time recognized it right away. NBC was, and still is, the well known abbreviation of the National Broadcasting Company. Putting the two together showed that the venture combined television news with the early web. The brand name acronyms hub collects other names formed when two firms combine.
What MSNBC means for viewers
For most people, the letters simply name a cable news channel. Daytime hours carry live reporting, while evening hours lean toward hosted programs where commentators discuss politics and current events. Audiences differ widely in how they see its coverage, as with any cable news outlet.
A TV guide listing: "8:00 p.m. MSNBC, Evening news and analysis." Here the letters work as the channel's name, and nobody reading the guide needs the full form to know what it is.
How to say and write MSNBC
Say each letter: M S N B C. It is an initialism, since nobody reads it as one word. Capital letters only, and no dots between them. Since the first sound is "em," pair it with an: "an MSNBC reporter."
- "She worked as a producer at MSNBC."
- "The debate aired on MSNBC and several other channels."
- "An MSNBC analyst joined the panel."
For more on how initialisms differ from acronyms, see acronym vs abbreviation.
From MSNBC to MS NOW
When NBC's parent company split off several cable channels into a new, separate business, the news channel needed a name that no longer leaned on NBC. It became MS NOW. Its new full form is My Source for News, Opinion and the World. The MS stayed for continuity, but it no longer points to any tech company.
Older articles, clips and bookmarks still use MSNBC, so you will see both names for some time. The MS NOW page explains the new full form in more detail.
Letters people mix up with MSNBC
- NBC: the broadcast network itself, on regular over the air channels.
- NBC News: the network's news division, which once shared reporters with the cable channel.
- MS: on its own, MS can mean many things, from Master of Science to multiple sclerosis to the postal code for Mississippi.
The setting usually decides it. If the letters appear in a TV listing or a news clip, they mean the channel.
Questions people ask
What does the MS in MSNBC stand for?
It came from Microsoft, the software company that cofounded the channel and used MS as a short form of its own name. In the newer name MS NOW, the letters stand for My Source instead.
What does NBC stand for?
NBC stands for National Broadcasting Company. It is one of the oldest broadcast networks in the United States.
When did MSNBC start?
The channel launched in 1996 as a joint venture between NBC and Microsoft. A matching news website started the same year.
Is MSNBC still called MSNBC?
The channel has been renamed MS NOW, which spells out as My Source for News, Opinion and the World. Many people still use the old name out of habit.
How do you pronounce MSNBC?
Each of the five letters gets its own sound: em, ess, en, bee, see.