NewsNation drops ‘Now’ branding in favor of ‘Live’

Nexstar Media Group’s NewsNation cable channel has rebranded some of its dayside news blocks under the name “News Nation Live.”

The changes, which also involved retitling select shows, took effect Nov. 24, 2025.

The network had previously used the name for the three morning hours, anchored by Marni Hughes, who appears starting at 9 a.m. Eastern.

At noon, the branding switched to “NewsNation Now” for the subsequent three-hour blocks, with Nicole Berlie anchoring from noon to 3 p.m. and Connell McShane taking over at 3 p.m. 

It appears that at least part of the strategy here was to introduce consistent branding for the network’s dayside news coverage, though this has not been confirmed by Nexstar. 

Previously, “Live” was used for programming before noon eastern, with “Now” taking over in the afternoon hours, though it’s not clear if this arrangement was intentional.

It’s worth noting that this distinction was really only valid for the East Coast, since the network is carried live across all time zones, meaning it’s 9 a.m. local time in California when the switch to “Now” took over. In fact, outside of the Eastern time zone, “Now”-branded programming started in the late morning. 

By combining all of these blocks under the same name, the network removes any branding differences between the rolling news coverage blocks that, especially from a viewer’s standpoint, are essentially the same format. 

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As part of the updates, the TV listings have been updated as have the graphics that start Berlie and McShane’s blocks.

Music updates

In addition to the update, the network also began introducing a collection of new cuts of its theme, such as the two opens in this clip:

Both the new pieces and original theme are from Stephen Arnold Music and the network continues to use portions of the original music combined with additional work from SAM that was added as shows launched.

Separate digital brand

The change also allows the network to relegate the “NewsNation Now” branding to its website domain name. Since it launched, the network has used newsnationnow.com as its website address, apparently having been unable to secure the rights to simply newsnation.com.

While it’s not clear if this was also part of the strategy behind renaming TV blocks, it does create more of a distinction between the network’s linear and digital offerings. 

Use of ‘Live’  in TV branding

“Live” is a common moniker attached to many TV show names, ranging from late-night entertainment to news programming, though it does not always mean the programming is being produced live, as is the case with ABC’s “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” which is typically taped earlier in the day. In these cases, the “live” reference is likely meant more to refer to the show being produced in the style of “live to tape” (although some such programming is still edited after production wraps) and in front of a studio audience, who see the action live. 

The cable network formerly known as MSNBC used the “Live” branding for its dayside news blocks under the name “MSNBC Live” before switching to “MSNBC Reports” in 2021, and, as part of an overall network rebranding, “MS NOW Reports” in November 2025.

At the time, MSNBC noted that the name change was designed to emphasize the programming’s hard-news focus while. The naming schema also helped put focus on the network’s talent, with individual blocks titled as “(Anchor Name) Reports,” a practice that continues to this day.

MSNBC Live returned as the name for the network’s series of in-person events earlier in 2025.