FILE PHOTO: Small toy figures with laptops and smartphones are seen in front of displayed Comcast logo, in this illustration taken December 5, 2021. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

(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 presses ahead with the planned separation of many NBCUniversal cable networks later this year.

Comcast 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 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 and National Broadcasting Company, a name formed through its previous partnership with Microsoft and NBC. The name has outlived its time since Microsoft 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 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)