Non-Newsie Meredith Vieira “Appears Close To Accepting NBC’s Offer”

“Meredith Vieira of the daytime chat show ‘The View’ appears close to accepting NBC’s offer to replace Couric, probably in September, according to a person with knowledge of NBC’s negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity,” the AP says. “An NBC spokeswoman, and Vieira’s agent, Michael Glantz, said they wouldn’t comment on the succession.”

An e-mailer weighs in: “NBC is about to hand the reigns of its morning show to a game show host? To a woman who has discussed orgasms, breast implants and other non-newsy things for almost 10 years? A woman who has publicly divorced herself from the news business? What does this say about NBC News’s priorities and the future of ‘Today?’ And thinking out loud: Is it perhaps NBC’s plan to announce an expansion of the show to 4 hours, with Viera leading the latter halfs of the show, instead of the newsier beginnings? Just a thought…”

> Also: “I think Meredith is the closest thing you can get to Katie Couric,” former NBCer and journalism professor Ken Bode tells the Boston Globe. Bode, who knows Vieira personally, adds: “I know the one condition for Meredith is she has to be able to manage her family. Now that her oldest boy is going to college, maybe this is the right time.”