Page Six reports NBC News is making some changes to the Sunday edition of the Today show. First and foremost, Willie Geist will be named anchor of the program. Geist will keep his prominent roles on the weekday Today show as well as on MSNBC’s Morning Joe.
A source tells the Post, the revamped Sunday Today “will be more thoughtful and reflective in tone, in fitting with the Sunday morning shows.”
That sounds a lot like what CBS News has been doing for more than 35 years with its popular CBS Sunday Morning, which happens to include Geist’s father Bill Geist as correspondent. (In 2014 father and son co-wrote “Good Talk, Dad” and appeared on Today to talk about it).
CBS’s 90-minute feature-driven news program hosted by Charles Osgood for the last 22 years, has long been the No. 1 Sunday morning show averaging more than 6 million viewers — more than any of the weekday morning shows. It also gives a healthy lead-in to CBS’s Face the Nation, which, on most Sundays, also leads in the ratings.
“Willie’s new show won’t be all politics,” the Post’s source says. “It is going to cover pop culture and social trends, but it’s built around Willie’s unique voice and take on the issues.”
CBS Sunday Morning could see its own change later this year. Osgood’s contract is up and he and CBS have begun a discussion about what’s next. With the news earlier today that CBS had hired Josh Elliott as lead anchor of CBSN, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that Elliott could eventually take over anchoring the Sunday show.
NBC News did not respond to a request for comment. But a source confirms with TVNewser that plans are moving ahead to debut the revamped Sunday Today show next month.