MSNBC did something rare today. It had on a guest who had appeared on the Today Show. Having a guest on isn’t unusual. In fact it happens almost every day. What made it unusual was that the guest went from the Today set at 30 Rock to MSNBC’s studios in Secaucus. That rarely happens. What usually happens is after the Today interview is over, the guest is taken to another studio where a satellite interview is taped and then replayed later.

Today’s interview with the little crying girl from American Idol was taped earlier as well but it was in the studio. The difference between a split screen satellite interview and an in person interview is definately noticeable. ICN has heard numerous times from insiders who have complained about this issue where a Today interviewee isn’t brought over to Secaucus. Certainly logistics and cost play must come into play here because MSNBC would have to shuttle over the interviewee and coordinate set time to pull the interview off, even if it is taped. But when it’s done I think it makes a noticeable difference.

The reason I bring all this up is to highlight one of the benefits that should come MSNBC’s way when it moves to 30 Rock later this year. The issues about shuttling and coordination will be significantly reduced, if not eliminated entirely. Instead of having to drive the interviewee over, now all that has to happen is walk the interviewee over to the new MSNBC studios. I would be expecting to see more in studio interviews more often when MSNBC makes the move.