Aug 18 (Reuters) - Cable news channel MSNBC will rebrand

as My Source News Opinion World, or MS NOW, according to

internal memos seen by Reuters on Monday, as parent Comcast ( CMCSA )

presses ahead with the planned separation of many NBCUniversal

cable networks later this year.

Comcast ( CMCSA ) plans to spin off its cable channels

such as CNBC and USA into a new company called

Versant

, signaling a significant shift in its media strategy as

streaming takes precedence.

The cable networks and some other channels will also

lose the iconic peacock logo associated with NBCUniversal,

according to the memo from Versant CEO Mark Lazarus.

Comcast ( CMCSA ) intends to retain brands such as the NBC

broadcast network and its film and television studios that are

expected to fuel growth for its Peacock streaming service.

"The future of our success is not tied to remaining

within the NBC family and using the peacock as part of our

identity," said MSNBC President Rebecca Kutler in a separate

memo on Monday.

Kutler also said MSNBC has been scooping up dozens of

journalists and recruiting for nearly 100 roles within the

organization in preparation for the separation.

Launched in 1996, MSNBC stands for Microsoft ( MSFT ) and National

Broadcasting Company, a name formed through its previous

partnership with Microsoft ( MSFT ) and NBC. The name has

outlived its time since Microsoft ( MSFT ) pulled out of the joint

venture that owned MSNBC in 2012.

CNBC will keep its name, which originally stood for Consumer

News and Business Channel, and is working on a new logo, per the

memo.

MSNBC is the latest media company to undergo a

rebranding, after Warner Bros Discovery ( WBD ) reverted to the

name HBO Max for its streaming service and IAC-owned

publisher Dotdash Meredith rebranded as People.

(Reporting by Harshita Mary Varghese in Bengaluru; Editing by

Devika Syamnath)