Wednesday, July 13, 2005

Could Alexis Glick be the next Katie Couric?

By GAIL SHISTER Knight Ridder Newspapers

Alexis Glick, who three years ago was managing more than 200 floor traders at the New York Stock Exchange, is being mentioned as a possible successor to “Today” co-anchor Katie Couric.

Since crossing over from CNBC to NBC’s “Today” as a correspondent a year ago, Glick is getting increasing face time. She’s seen almost daily in the 8-9 a.m. segment.

Couric, 48, has been “Today’s” co-anchor since April 1991. Her estimated $12 million-a-year contract is up next May. Glick, 32 and, like Couric, a mother of two, is a far less costly TV newbie.

Do the math.

“Nonsense,” new “Today” boss Jim Bell says. “It’s summer. People are taking time off. Alexis is getting experience in the 9 o’clock hour, a place we really want to use to build our bench.”

Smoothie Natalie Morales, an MSNBC anchor since 2002, appears frequently in “Today’s” first two hours and sometimes sits in for Couric. (Glick hasn’t subbed for Couric yet.)

The boys’ side of the bench includes MSNBC’s Lester Holt, weekend “Today” co-anchor, and David Gregory, NBC’s chief White House correspondent and a weekend fill-in for Holt.

There could be more, Bell says.

Before joining CNBC in April 2003 as senior trading correspondent for its popular weekday morning show “Squawk Box,” Glick was a rising star on Wall Street.

At Morgan Stanley, she became the first woman to manage the stock-exchange floor operation of a heavyweight Wall Street firm.

Glick “is a fresh face,” Bell says.

“She’s smart, a mom, worked on Wall Street. She has a unique background. We can use her for lots of different stories. She’s doing great. She’s getting experience to be part of the best team in morning TV.”

Bell is looking to infuse “a different sensibility and feel” to “Today’s” last hour, formerly a hodgepodge of disparate elements without much of a personality.

It features the same on-air talent as the 6-8 a.m. show — Couric, Matt Lauer, Ann Curry and Al Roker.

To help give the 8 a.m. segment a distinct look, Bell recently named former “Maury” executive producer Amy Rosenblum as senior producer for “Today’s” third hour.

“Having fresh eyes and fresh ideas is a good thing,” he says.

Also a good thing, for “Today,” is its June ratings surge.

In the most recent weekly Nielsens (June 20-24), “Today” averaged 5.5 million viewers — 700,000 more than ABC’s “Good Morning America.” CBS’ “Early Show” had 2.3 million viewers.

It was “Today’s” 498th consecutive weekly blue ribbon and the fourth straight week it beat rival “GMA” by more than 475,000 viewers, NBC says.

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