Willie Geist Set To Co-Host Third Hour Of ‘Today’

Willie Geist, who is currently the co-host of Morning Joe over at MSNBC, will reportedly transport his talents the third hour of NBC’s Today Show, according to The New York Times. Although nothing has been officially announced as of this writing, the network is expected to reveal details about their new co-host later this week.

For a while, rumors were swirling that Willie Geist was considering leaving NBC behind for another network, though it would appear he’s decided to stay loyal to the company which gave him his start. The Today Show’s newest co-host began his relationship with NBC over seven years ago when he was tapped to produce Tucker Carlson’s chat show on MSNBC. Willie Geist was frequently asked to appear on the program, an opportunity which effectively helped further his career.

According to the folks at Zap2It, Willie Geist’s promotion to the 9 am hour at the Today Show also puts him in line to cover for Matt Lauer should the long-running host decide he needs some time off. It’s also rumored that Geist could be in the running to replace Lauer should he choose to end his employment with the network at some point in the future. I’m sure the Morning Joe co-host wouldn’t have a problem with that.

Speaking of Matt Lauer and the Today Show, a source recently told Radar Online that the host of the early morning television program could receive a hefty pay cut if ratings don’t improve in the near future.

“Comcast, which now owns NBC Universal, is going through the budgets of each show and right now, they are focusing on the news division. Matt’s salary is the biggest part of the TODAY show’s budget and with Good Morning America now routinely beating them, it’s just had to justify the salary,” an anonymous individual close to the situation revealed.

If that’s the case, then Willie Geist might be in the running for Lauer’s position sooner than he thinks. Do you think he’s the right choice to co-host the third hour of the Today Show?