Way Too Early Is Faster, Looser Morning Joe

A new, earlier cable news show debuted today on MSNBC, as Willie Geist, of Morning Joe, checked in a half-hour early for his 5:30amET Way Too Early.

With a hip-hop soundtrack not typically seen on cable news, the show moves along at an atypically speedy pace. Then again, Geist is not a typical cable news host.

He’s funny, doesn’t take himself too seriously and is, well, young. At just 34-years-old, Geist’s appeal allows MSNBC to dig down to the heart of the A25-54 demographic, and hopefully attract viewers it desperately wants, especially on Morning Joe (it’s currently in 4th in that category).

Geist kicked off his show joking about the much-talked-about MJ Starbucks sponsorship. Way Too Early is “brewed by Sanka,” said Geist. “No, there’s no Sanka sponsorship, that stuff doesn’t start until 6 a.m.”

Segments have different, sarcastic names. A CNBC check-in is, “All Up In Your Business.” The phone-call interview is “Morning Buzz.” A call-out for emails is described as “email why you’re awake at this ungodly hour.”

Today’s “daily phone call to a reluctant guest” was White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. “What time is it?” joked Gibbs as he first got on the call, before the interview became a quick, but newsy, segment.

In the New York Times, MSNBC President Phil Griffin said the program would be, “SportsCenter of news.” To TVNewser, Geist said, “The show will fly.”

Today’s premiere was fast, and had the tone seen in SportsCenter. But it also served its clear overall purpose – be a lead-in for the three-hour morning show at 6amET. The Morning Joe logo spent most of the show on screen. Geist ended segments with teases to MJ, and executive producer Chris Licht and Mika Brzezinski appeared at the end of the show. And of course, Geist remains a co-host on Joe.

It was a good start, but will it have it get the chance to have it’s own identity? It’s way too early to tell right now.

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