American TV news channel MSNBC on StarSat increasing its live weekend programming hours over weekends from this Saturday; adds new Hugh Hewitt show.

The American TV news channel MSNBC (StarSat 263) has announced that it will be extending its weekend live programming  - two days when it runs a lot of repeats and recorded shows - from this Saturday and rolling out further new shows in July.

The conservative American talk show host Hugh Hewitt will anchor a new Saturday interview show on MSNBC from this Sunday, 24 June, at 8:00 in America and seen 14:00 in South Africa.

Hugh Hewitt's show will provide interviews and analysis on the week's news with a panel discussion.

From July MSNBC will increase its number of live programming hours over weekends and will be live on Saturday and Sundays until 03:00 in the mornings (South African time, 21:00 in America).

From July, Thomas Roberts will return to MSNBC to anchor two hours on Saturday and Sunday evenings.

MSNBC weekend programming will now be Joy Reid presenting AM Joy on Saturday and Sundays from 16:00 - 18:00; MSNBC chief legal correspondent Ari Melber as the presenter of The Point on Sundays from 23:00 - 01:00 and Alex Witt and Richard Lui anchoring on weekends.

There is also Ali Velshi and Stephanie Ruhle, as co-anchors of Velshi & Ruhle on Saturdays from 18:30, JJ Ramberg doing Your Business Sundays at 13:30, and Rev. Al Sharpton as the presenter of PoliticsNation on Sundays from 14:00 to 15:00.

Thomas Roberts the new presenter of Way Too Early on MSNBC, will take over the new timeslot from 13 January.

Thomas Roberts is the new presenter of Way Too Early on MSNBC (StarSat 410) taking over from Brian Shactman from 13 January at 12:00 (South African time), the American 24-hour TV news channel announced.

Thomas Roberts who used to be on during afternoons, is moving earlier and will also contribute to the morning programme Morning Joe following Way Too Early.

"Thomas Roberts' unique personality and point of view are just the right mix to lead-in to Morning Joe," says MSNBC president Phil Griffin in a statement. "Thomas has really found his voice in the past year and joining the Morning Joe table gives him the opportunity to further develop it."

"This is a very exciting opportunity and right in line with my career goals and aspirations," says Thomas Roberts. "I really admire what Joe, Mika, Willie and Brian have build with Morning Joe and Way Too Early. I am flattered to join this morning family. I also appreciate Phil's faith in me and can't wait to get started."

News channel MSNBC changing its weekday line-up from 28 February; adding shows for Thomas Roberts and Martin Bashir.

MSNBC (TopTV 410) will have a daily programming line-up change from Monday, 28 February when the British presenter Martin Bashir gets his own weekday hour as well as Thomas Roberts who joined MSNBC officially in December last year.

Martin Bashir will get his own one hour show from 28 February MSNBC announced to staff in an internal email yesterday. Martin Bashir's new show will be broadcast in South Africa weeknights at 22:00 (South African time).

Thomas Roberts is getting an hour from 28 February as well and will be the face of MSNBC Live on weekdays at 18:00 (South African time). As a result the current two hour block of Jansing and Co. will be scaled back to just one hour still starting on weekdays at 17:00. (Chris Jansing will be traveling to London by the way at the end of April to cover the upcoming royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.)

Thomas Roberts officially joins MSNBC as news anchor and fill-in host for various shows.

Viewers will be seeing a lot more of Thomas Roberts on MSNBC (TopTV 410) in 2011. Thomas Roberts has officially joined the 24 hour American news channel and will be a news anchor of several different hours as needed, and will also fill-in for various hosts as needed.

''Thomas is a very talented anchor who has impressed all of us over the last year,'' said Phil Griffin, president of MSNBC in a press release today. ''With his addition, were continuing to build a truly outstanding anchor team.''

Thomas Roberts joined MSNBC in April as a freelance presenter and before that also worked for CNN's American channel and did inserts for Entertainment Tonight as well as The Insider.