Brendan Mcdermid/ReutersMatt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie on the “Today” show on Friday, after Ms. Guthrie was named the replacement for Ann Curry as co-host.Ending the week by beginning a new era at the “Today” show, NBC said Friday that Savannah Guthrie had been named a co-host of the top-rated morning news program.
The announcement came one day after Ann Curry tearfully left the show, having accepted the network’s offer to become a roving correspondent. Ms. Guthrie began negotiations with NBC for the co-host role earlier this week, and those negotiations apparently wrapped up by Friday morning.
There was no mention of Ms. Guthrie’s promotion when she sat next to Matt Lauer on Friday morning’s show. But at lunchtime, the network made it official with a press release that said her appointment was effective immediately.
Because the Fourth of July makes the week of July 2 a holiday week, “the new ‘Today’ anchor team of Matt Lauer, Savannah Guthrie, Al Roker and Natalie Morales officially debuts Monday, July 9,” the network said
Ms. Guthrie has worked for NBC since 2007, initially as a correspondent and legal analyst. In a statement, Steve Capus, the president of NBC News, said, “In just a few short years Savannah has become a standout member of the news division as well as the ultimate team player.”
Jim Bell, the executive producer of “Today,” said Ms. Guthrie stood out as soon as she joined the news division.
“She has a one-of-a-kind combination of sharp wit and approachability, and our viewers value her journalistic skills and legal background just as much as her humor and charm,” Mr. Bell’s statement said. “She can effortlessly go from interviewing the Secretary of State to jumping Olympic-sized hurdles on the Plaza. I’m thrilled to welcome Savannah as our newest co-anchor, and along with Matt, Al and Natalie, we’ve got the best morning team in the business.”
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