Live MSNBC programming has been preempted over the last few days on some cable systems in some U.S. cities including Detroit and Sacramento due to the separate MSNBC feeds which occur during the Olympics. It’s something first pointed out by InsideCableNews.

Some cable systems are getting a special MSNBC feed — the so-called vanilla feed — during the games that excludes Olympics coverage because they “chose” not to take the Olympics feed. But this also means that other daytime programs, including “Morning Joe” and “Daily Rundown” are being preempted, in some cases, by MSNBC’s prison documentaries.

An NBCU spokesperson tells TVNewser, “There are a small handful of systems that chose not to carry NBC Universal’s enhanced coverage of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games. These systems receive a separate MSNBC feed, which does not include Olympic programming.”

Credit: ICN

ICN also points out that some MSNBCers including Willie Geist and senior producer Nikki Egan, who oversees “Daily Rundown,” have also been looking into the mystery on Twitter.

Unrelated to this issue, CNBC has adjusted its daytime schedule for the duration of the Olympics. “Mad Money” airs at NoonET, “Fast Money” airs at 12:30pmET, and “Power Lunch” starts at 1pmET.

More: Geist tweets an explanation: “Nothing like a little ‘Lockup Wabash: Conjugal Visits’ to start your morning. Certain cable providers didn’t pay for our Olympic coverage.”