American Morning Toast?

Kiran Chetry out & Soledad O’Brien back in–for good? CNN appears to have bared its future plans for American Morning two months ago: on the day after AM announced that Kiran was leaving the show, it brought Soledad O’Brien in to fill in for her. At the time, the author surmised that the substitution seemed to be a strange and sadistic slap at Kiran who had replaced Soledad herself almost four years earlier–perhaps, from the very AM insider who had told Page 6 that “Kiran [was] dumb as a rock.” In hindsight, it appears that CNN may also have been showing its cards.

According to TVNewser, American Morning may be ending it current incarnation and transmogrifying into two shows (a two-hour one from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. ET and another from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.). Furthermore, TVNewser reported that the former American Morning anchor Soledad was being considered to host the second show and that TruTV anchor Ashleigh Banfield has been mentioned for the first one. Apparently, CNN is hoping that a mix of its old blood and new blood can jumpstart its program that has lagged behind as of August not only juggernaut FNC’s Fox & Friends but also MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” for five consecutive months.

Hopefully, the lovely ladies Soledad and Ashleigh can resurrect a moribund AM. Ever since the gorgeous, engaging Kiran Chetry left the show on July 29th on an awkward note, the show has gone from must-see HD to quick-scan low-def. Without her at the helm, AM‘s relatively plain and prosaic temporary co-hosts, Ali Velshi, Christine Romans, and Carol Costello, have gallantly tried to keep the listing ship afloat–to little avail.

Good luck, Soledad and Ashleigh!

Pink: Kiran’s “New Obsession”

Has American Morning co-host Kiran Chetry found a new way to arouse the flaccid ratings of her slumping program? As producers began the second half of the show early today to the lurid lilt of Aerosmith’s “Pink,” co-anchor John Roberts pointed to Kiran’s pink open sweater  and deadpanned, “My favorite color.”* Smiling knowingly, Kiran risquely remarked, “It’s my new obsession.”

When Michael Calderone asked about a possible “radical re-thinking” of Jon Klein’s news network in his “How to Fix CNN” Politico article, who knew that Kiran might be thinking proactively outside the box? In the past, Kiran has said that pink is one of her favorite colors. And, with her major in broadcast journalism and minor in women’s studies (at the University of Maryland), the Nepalese beauty may have discovered a winning formula at last.

Watch out, Fox & Friends and Morning Joe. Today may well mark the dawning of a new American Morning. Rise and shine!

*American Morning – 04/01/10 (@7:27 a.m. ET)

Wallace: Morning Joe Blow

Fox News Sunday host Chris Wallace hit back hard at Morning Joe co-host Joe Scarborough today in an interview with Megyn Kelly on America Live. Responding to Scarborough’s claim that Wallace “roll[ed] his eyes, embarrassed” after the Palin interview to signal to his friends that “yes, I know [that] she is not a serious thinker,” Wallace asserted, “‘No’ is the quick answer to that.”* Then, scornfully, he added, “Secondly, let me just say that Joe Scarborough lives out where the trolleys don’t run at night.”

Eager to pummel Scarborough further, Wallace continued, “The last time I heard of somebody getting that kind of a secret message, it was Son of Sam hearing from a Labrador retriever that he should go out and shoot people….I think that Morning Joe definitely needs to switch to decaf.” Later, in the interview when Megyn asked whether he was offended by Scarborough comment, Wallace snidely stated, “I’m offended that people watch him on MSNBC.”

For Wallace, apparently, there is little love left for that former Fox News contributor.

*America Live – 02/11/10 (@2:36 p.m. ET).

Update: Cf. Mediaite‘s vid of segment including footage of Wallace’s “eye roll” and Scarborough’s analysis.