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Syndie Hopeful ‘The Meredith Vieira Show’ Already Outwits the Competition With NBC Station Deal

Jul 17, 2013  •  Post A Comment

"The Meredith Vieira Show" has passed its first hurdle by clearing the 10 NBC owned-and-operated TV stations. The show — which will be distributed by NBC Universal — got its first major break thanks to the demise of "Survival" host Jeff Probst’s talk show, which had been airing at 2 p.m. on a number of the NBC O&O’s.

Here’s what NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution said in making the announcement:

NBCUniversal Domestic TV Distribution today announced the new daytime program “The Meredith Vieira Show” has been sold to the NBC Owned Television Stations for its Fall 2014 debut.

The new one-hour talk show starring award-winning TV personality Meredith Vieira, will air on the 10 NBC Owned Television Stations, which include WNBC New York, KNBC Los Angeles, WMAQ Chicago, WCAU Philadelphia, KXAS Dallas-Fort Worth, KNTV San Francisco, WRC Washington DC, WTVJ Miami, KNSD San Diego and WVIT Hartford. The NBC Owned Stations represent more than 27% of the nations’ TV households.

“We couldn’t be happier to welcome Meredith Vieira to our 10 stations next year,” said Valari Staab, President, NBC Owned Television Stations. “With her genuine warmth, intelligence and likeability, as well as her extraordinary ability to understand and connect with viewers, Meredith is a great addition to our daytime lineup. We look forward to the Fall of 2014.”

Produced in New York City on a set that resembles her home, “The Meredith Vieira Show” is a multi-segmented, exciting hour that will blend the host’s unique point of view, empathy, and sense of humor with insightful storytelling that will make viewers laugh, learn and feel inspired. Each day, the show will offer a unique blend of daytime fun with a mix of feel-good human interest stories from everyday people to celebrity guests who have an important story to tell, lifestyle segments and key topics that highlight Vieira’s warm, relatable and distinctive personality.

“Meredith Vieira is a gifted broadcaster who already has a wonderful relationship with the daytime viewer,” said Sean O’Boyle, EVP and General Sales Manager, NBCUniversal Domestic TV Distribution. “Her relatability, humility and generosity are all rare traits which make her so successful on television. We are very excited about taking ‘The Meredith Vieira Show’ to the local marketplace, and with the NBC Owned Stations on board, we are off to a fantastic start.”

With more than two decades of experience, Meredith Vieira has earned numerous awards, including 14 Emmys®, and continues to be a staple on daytime TV. Throughout her successful and diverse broadcasting career Vieira has been a huge part of some of the most successful programs in television history, including “Today,” “Who Wants to be a Millionaire,” “The View,” and “60 Minutes.”

While it might be fun sport to see Vieira go up against the person she replaced on the "Today" show, Katie Couric, it’s doubtful that will happen, at least on the NBC stations. That’s because Couric is on mostly at 3 p.m., and that’s where the NBC O&O’s have been airing Steve Harvey, another successful syndie talk show.

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