Meredith Vieira, the former co-host of NBC’s “Today” show, is in talks with another division of NBCUniversal about hosting a syndicated talk show.
The daytime series would start no sooner than September 2014, people with knowledge of the discussions said. The people insisted on anonymity because the discussions were private and could end without a deal for a new show.
But if the discussions bear fruit, Ms. Vieira could show up at 11 a.m. in some local markets, the same hour that “The View” is shown. Ms. Vieira was a co-host of “The View” for its first nine years. She left in 2006 to replace Katie Couric on “Today.” Now Ms. Couric is a daytime talk show host, and a show by Ms. Vieira could compete with hers.
But the time slots NBC syndication executives are most likely eyeing are those occupied by “The Jeff Probst Show,” a series introduced by CBS’s syndication arm last fall. It is televised at 2 p.m. in many markets.
The 10 stations owned by NBC are among those that carry Mr. Probst, but his show is underperforming the season’s other new entrants, including Ms. Couric and Steve Harvey, whose talk show is syndicated by NBCUniversal. NBC might seek to pair Mr. Harvey’s show with one by Ms. Vieira.
No announcement is imminent, nor does one need to be, since the 2014-15 television season is so far away. The president of NBCUniversal’s syndication business, Barry Wallach, announced on Wednesday that he was leaving the company after nearly a decade. NBC decided not to immediately name a replacement for him.
For Ms. Vieira, who chose to leave “Today” in part to spend more time with her husband and children, a new syndicated show would be a major time commitment. She is currently a special correspondent for NBC News.
Last week, she announced that she was leaving the daytime game show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire,” which would free her up to make a talk show deal with NBC. She said in a statement, “I am about to embark on a new adventure with NBC.”
A spokeswoman for NBC’s syndication arm declined to comment on development plans.
Article source: http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/17/meredith-vieira-said-to-be-in-talks-for-daytime-show/?partner=rss&emc=rss