CNN’s Early Start: American Morning Again?

Alina Cho MT: WEIWEI”@AliVelshi…good AM.” Freudian slip? As Early Start began this morning guest co-host, a “wired” Ali Velshi, Tweeted, “Nice to be back w/ my buddy, colleague & former office mate @AlinaChoCNN. Between her @ZoraidaCNN & @ChristineRomans, it’s a good morning.” In reply, Alina exclaimed, “WEIWEI” and MT’d Ali’s Tweet with the not so subtle change of “good morning” to “good AM.” Whether she was answering enthusiastically in French phonetically, or, less plausibly, simply could not contain herself, literally, her message was crystal clear: Alina was quite excited to be back again with her former American Morning colleagues, AM co-hosts Ali and Christine Romans.

As well, Alina–not to mention, CNN suits–should have been. Early Start was a marked improvement over its short and dismal past: E.g., Co-host Zoraida Sambolin simply came alive today and asserted herself charismatically with uncharacteristic aplomb. Perhaps, it was simply because the rather reserved Zoraida was no longer tethered to her regular co-host Ashleigh Banfield, who, according to Inside Cable News, lacks the requisite chemistry with Zoraida as a “hyper and over-caffeinated [anchor who leaves] no pause unmolested” in contradistinction to the more reserved Zoraida. Furthermore, it was a delight to see the facile, informed exchanges between Ali and Christine in clear contrast to the usual sycophancy of Ashleigh toward her “Mayor of the Morning” Christine.

Yes, American Morning under Ali and Christine and their erstwhile interim co-anchor Carol Costello was assuredly a morning CNN cellar dweller: But, at least, it was watchable (even eminently so, at least, until AM’s last permanent co-host, comely Kiran Chetry, bid her fans a final namaskaar). And, that is more than one can readily say about Early Start as it fatefully charters new ratings depths (even lower than AM ever descended in its ten-year history).

“Early Start”: American Morning again? CNN viewers can only hope.

Tags: Ali Velshi, Alina Cho, American Morning, Ashleigh Banfield, Carol Costello, Christine Romans, CNN, Early Start, Inside Cable News, Kiran Chetry, Zoraida Sambolin