The married co-hosts of MS NOW’s “Morning Joe,” Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, reportedly caused a “meltdown” at the morning show with their chronic absenteeism over the summer and fall. 

A review by the Washington Free Beacon found that the couple – who are believed to make more than $20 million a year combined – appeared on air together for 70 out of 124 episodes between May 27 and November 15, when MSNBC formally changed its name to MS NOW.

During that time, Mr. Scarborough was absent for 28 shows, while Ms. Brzezinski was missing for 41 days — or about one out of every three weeks. She missed two consecutive weeks in the month of July. 

For 16 episodes, neither Mr. Scarborough nor Ms. Brzezinski was on air. 

The absences have led to questions about whether one or the other decided to just sleep in and let the other one host the show, which is primarily filmed in a studio built in their Florida home. 

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The couple’s absences from the morning show, one of the most recognizable on MS NOW and a reported favorite of President Biden, have reportedly caused frustration at MS NOW. A former executive editor of OK!, Rob Shuter, reported in his newsletter that the absences have caused “chaos” and caused a “workplace in meltdown.”

A senior producer told Mr. Shuter, “There’s no leadership.”

“Every day is a scramble. Who’s hosting? What’s the tone? Who’s running the ship? No one knows,” they added.

Another “insider” told Mr. Shuter, “They have special deals, endless vacation time—but this summer went too far. We’re headed into an election year, and we’re stuck with empty chairs.”

However, things seem to be changing for Mr. Scarborough and Ms. Brzezinski now that MS NOW has been jettisoned from its former parent company, Comcast, and forced to fend for itself as cable networks are facing declining revenues, a trend media experts expect will continue. 

Since November 12, just days before the MS NOW name change took effect, the couple has had perfect attendance. 

While MS NOW’s parent company, Versant, reported that its cable portfolio is profitable, its networks’ revenues have fallen in recent years. Media insiders believe that they will eventually be sold off to private equity and squeezed for their maximum value.

But before that happens, it is expected that executives at Versant will look for ways to cut costs. MSNBC laid off around 125 staffers earlier this year. It also fired a far-left host, Joy Reid. The network’s top-rated host, Rachel Maddow, who is paid $25 million a year to work one day a week, criticized the decision as a “bad mistake” and “indefensible.” Puck’s Dylan Byers noted Ms. Maddow’s salary is “roughly equivalent to the combined salary of about—go figure—125 production staffers.”

The negotiations over Ms. Maddow’s salary, which has been widely criticized, are believed to be the reason why the chairman of NBCUniversal’s News Group, Cesar Conde, was passed over for the chance to lead Versant. 

While MS NOW is expected to face more layoffs, executives are also expected to be scrutinizing the enormous compensation packages of its hosts, such as Ms. Maddow. There has been speculation that executives might try to force Ms. Maddow to work more than one day a week or pay out her contract and show her the door. 

“Morning Joe” is not the only morning program to grapple with absenteeism. The co-hosts of ABC’s “Good Morning America” — George Stephanopoulos, Robin Roberts, and Michael Strahan — who are believed to make around $25 million each, have also made headlines for their long absences. In July, Ms. Roberts made headlines after she was missing from the show for the week while she celebrated her 20th anniversary with her wife, Amber Laign, in Rwanda. The vacations and absences have reportedly created resentment among “Good Morning America” staffers, as ABC has experienced layoffs, forcing lower-paid staffers to take on more responsibilities at the morning show. 

MS NOW did not respond to the Sun’s request for comment by the time of publication.