2006: “A New Day” At NBC, Including Vieira, New Execs & Budget Cuts

By Brian 

> Dec. 20: A fourth hour of Today: is it 50/50, a strong possibility, or a done deal?

> Dec. 14: Gregory and Snow spar again; this time, Snow apologizes

> Dec. 13: Dateline is applying the Predator format to other subjects

> Dec. 5: NBC tries a sole-sponsor Nightly News; less commercials, more news is a hit with viewers

> Dec. 4: Today, with Vieira, stays in first place

> Nov. 27: NBC decides to label Iraq a “civil war”

> Nov. 22: After Christmas, Dateline gets a third night

> Nov. 13: Today survives the transition; “I’m surprised we hung in there,” Lauer says

> Nov. 10: 17 pink slips at Dateline; Robb Stafford and Edie Magnus are out; layoffs at NN and Today too

> Nov. 7: Man commits suicide when police (and Dateline crew) come knocking

> Nov. 4: Williams’ viewers sampled Couric, but they come back

> Oct. 30: NBC will look for operational efficiencies, like sending one camera crew for multiple networks

> Oct. 19: NBC/MSNBC/CNBC guest booking and graphics departments will merge

> Oct. 19: Confronting a “new electronic reality,” NBC U 2.0 plan is revealed; to save $750 million, 700 jobs will be cut, including 220 at NBC News; it’s “salary-tightening time”

> Oct. 12: President Bush compliments Kevin Corke‘s suit

> Oct. 10: NBC opens bureau in Bangkok; Ian Williams joins net from ITN

> Oct. 4: CNN vet Jane Arraf moves to NBC

> Sep. 14: 6.9 million viewers for Vieira’s premiere

> Sep. 13: NBC welcomes Vieira to the Today Show family; she premieres on a futuristic set

> Sep. 8: Lauer supports a fourth hour of Today — if NBC supports it by adding staffers

> Sep. 7: Dateline’s predator deal is lucrative for Perverted Justice

> Aug. 31: Curry breaks her nose in between Today Show segments

> Aug. 23: Nancy Snyderman becomes chief medical editor

> Aug. 21: New control room and HDTV studio space for Today

> Aug. 10: Williams reads viewer mail on the Nightly News; John Reiss says “we’re trying to lift the veil a bit”

> Aug. 8: Will NBC add a fourth hour of Today?

> Jun. 28: NBC doubles its staff of investigative producers

> Jun. 16: NBC moves Mark Mullen to Beijing and names Fritz Von Klein South East Asia bureau chief; at the same time, NBC downsizes in Moscow

> Jun. 9: Couric’s gone, but Today viewers don’t seem to mind; the morning gap holds steady

> May 31: Couric leaves Today; NBC starts promoting “a new day”

> May 22: NBC opens “Middle East bureau” in Beirut; Richard Engel is the bureau chief

> May 15: Dateline to lose its Sunday spot in the fall; but it’ll be back after football season; Steve Capus says “we have big plans” for Dateline

> May 1: NBC’s new ad slogan: “Wherever you go, there we are”

> Apr. 25: To Catch A Predator is back for May sweeps

> Apr. 24: Meet the Press celebrates five years at #1

> Apr. 21: NBC tried to woo Mike Wallace

> Apr. 11: Matt Lauer gets $13 million a year in a new 5-year deal

> Apr. 6: “I’m very honored that NBC has asked me to co-host the Today show,” Vieira announces on The View; NBC holds press conference

> Apr. 4: NBC offers Vieira a 4-year, $10 million contract

> Mar. 23: Photographer David Hume Kennerly becomes contributing editor

> Mar. 10: Ann Curry reports from Darfur

> Mar. 13: Vieira has had “several meetings” with NBC, but her agent downplays the rumors

> Mar. 3: Phil Alongi becomes specials EP

> Mar. 2: Mark Lukasiewicz becomes VP

> Feb. 28: Two new VP’s: Doug Vaughan and Lloyd Siegel

> Feb. 13: David Gregory and Scott McClellan exchange words; later, Gregory explains

> Feb. 15: Alexis Glick leaves NBC; later, Natalie Morales becomes a full-time Today correspondent

> Feb. 6: TMZ is the first to suggest Meredith Vieira could move to Today; Vieira doesn’t deny the possibility

> Feb. 2: New EP of Weekend Today: Lyne Pitts

> Jan. 23: Dateline moves to Saturday “graveyard”

> Jan. 12: NBC correspondents vote to leave the AFTRA union

> Jan. 9: Alex Wallace becomes VP; oversees Nightly News, specials and newsgathering

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