MSNBC names new host

Just in from MSNBC:

AP/Gary He

Ronan Farrow has joined MSNBC as the host of a new show currently in development. The weekday, one-hour program will begin in early 2014. The announcement was made today by Phil Griffin, President of MSNBC. Farrow, a writer, human rights lawyer, and former [Obama administration] official will also contribute to msnbc.com and across the platforms of NBC News.

“Ronan has established himself as a provocative, independent journalist capable of challenging people’s assumptions and empowering audiences,” said Griffin. “His show will be a game changer for MSNBC, representing a fresh approach to how we deliver news.”

The tentative show is billed as "a show about why the news matters to you - and what you can do to be a part of the story."

“I’m excited to shake up people’s expectations for cable news," Farrow said in the release.  "And to get a ton of Twitter followers.”

The New York Post recently reported that Farrow, who may or may not be the son of the late Frank Sinatra, would become MSNBC's answer to CNN's Anderson Cooper. The report was wrong, however, in citing a source that Farrow would first be introduced as a type of contributor before being given his own show.

MSNBC has made several changes to its programming as of late, most notably with the addition of actor Alec Baldwin as host of his own weekly show.

@eScarry