MSNBC is a cable network that skews left. MSNBC.com is an objective news site which is the second most popular of its kind in the United States. Until now, they’ve shared the same name in relative harmony, but MSNBC.com parents NBC Universal and Microsoft have begun discussing the idea of differentiating between the two. Having a different strategy for the network and the website is fine, MSNBC.com president Charlie Tillinghast wrote in a memo back in March, which was just uncovered by the Times. “But naming them the same thing is brand insanity.” The two units are already separate companies. Unfortunately, changing the brand identity of the website is easier said than done. “Consensus in this case is a tall order,” wrote Tillinghast. Should it be NBCNews.com? MSN.com/news? NBC.com/notthebiggaypinkos?
