Sarah Palin to co-host 'Today' on Tuesday

Sarah Palin is scheduled to make her debut as a morning show co-host Tuesday when she appears alongside Matt Lauer, Al Roker and Ann Curry on "Today."

Palin is NBC's answer to the much-hyped guests on the other networks' morning shows this week, including an interview with Oprah Winfrey on "CBS This Morning" today and Katie Couric's weeklong guest-hosting stint on ABC's "Good Morning America."

But as if to assure viewers that NBC wasn't going all Fox News in its Palin adoration, Lauer managed to get a dig in at the former Alaska governor when she called into "Today" on Monday to promote her appearance.

"What are you doing to prepare," Lauer asked. "Are you reading some newspapers?"

Palin (and the rest of the "Today" crew) responded with a classic schoolyard "Oooooooh."

"And it begins!" Roker called out.

But Palin managed to take the swipe, which referred to her awkward non-answer during a 2008 interview with Couric, in stride.

"That's a fine how-do-you-do," she said. "That's a great start. Here we go."

Palin said she was calling from the Minneapolis-St. Paul airport, where she was en route to New York. She said she plans to talk about energy prices and national security issues.

"I really look forward to this," Palin said. "I appreciate NBC's boldness in having me on. Doesn't it reflect the diversity of opinion I hear you all espouse."

"Or desperation," said former "Today" host Meredith Vieira, who was on the show to announce her involvement with NBC's Olympics coverage.

Everybody laughed.

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Photo: Sarah Palin. Credit: J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press

Kirk Cameron defends gay comments, talks to 'Today' and Fox News

Kirk Cameron, once the heartthrob of many because of his "Growing Pains" tenure as All-American teen Mike Seaver, has spent the last few weeks on the receiving end of criticism following comments he made on CNN's "Piers Morgan Tonight" about homosexuality.

On Tuesday morning, Cameron attempted to fight back against the criticism and deflect some of the blame onto the media.

When "Today's" Ann Curry asked Cameron about his comments -- which included him calling homosexuality "unnatural" and "destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization" -- Cameron responded: "I love all people. I hate no one. When you take a subject and reduce it to something like a four-second sound bite and a check mark on a ballot, I think that's inappropriate and insensitive. The truth is that these are issues that are very personal. These are things that need to be discussed best, I believe, in the context of a personal friendship of someone who's asking the question. So when things get edited down it doesn't reflect, it certainly didn't reflect my full heart on the matter."

In other words, he thinks Piers Morgan had no business having him discuss it on the air.

He continued his defense on "Fox and Friends," saying that Morgan's asking about the topic, already knowing his feelings on the matter, was wrong.

"I don't change my feeling about the comments," he said. "To take some answers, reduce an important and personal and sensitive issue to a four-second sound bite and toss it into a community to start a political bonfire and really upset people you're looking to protect was disingenuous."

Cameron was also upset that the question came during an interview to promote his documentary, "Monumental."

Not willing to take things lying down, Morgan responded to Cameron's finger-pointing on Twitter, saying, "Kirk Cameron is moaning everywhere today that I stitched him up by releasing a 4-second 'soundbite' re his comments on gay marriage. These are the 4 seconds: homosexuality is 'unnatural..detrimental, and ultimately destructive to so many of the foundations of civilization'. Mr Cameron 'stands by the comments', despite his whining. So I'll let others decide if he was stitched up...or just a bigot. Re #KirkCameron, I respect his religious beliefs -- just don't respect his use of bigoted, inflammatory language re homosexuality. End."

Later in the day, Morgan extended this invitation to Cameron: "Kirk Cameron should come back on my show, live and uncensored, and we can debate this properly. Your call, Kirk. #CNN."

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-- Patrick Kevin Day

Photo: Kirk Cameron. Credit: Win McNamee / Getty Images.

Sacha Baron Cohen takes his Oscars war to the media

Sacha Baron Cohen's plan to show up at Sunday's Oscar ceremony in character as Adm. Gen. Shabazz Aladeen, the focus of his upcoming movie "The Dictator," may have been scuttled by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, but Cohen (or at least his character) isn't taking the slight quietly. He's taking the fight to the media.

Cohen called into NBC's "Today" show on Friday morning, in character as Aladeen, upset about being banned from the Oscars red carpet. (Cohen is still welcome to attend, but only as himself.)

Playing along, hosts Ann Curry and Carl Quintanilla asked the dictator about the red carpet ban. Aladeen responded that he had issued an ultimatum to the academy, "They have until midday on Sunday to give me my tickets back. If they do not, they will see and face unforeseen and unimaginable consequences."

FULL COVERAGE: Oscars

When asked what those unimaginable consequences might be, Aladeen responded, "Let's just say oil prices might be raised."

On Wednesday, academy President Tom Sherak told The Times that he had warned Paramount Pictures, the studio distributing "The Dictator," that Cohen showing up in character was "a bad thing to do."

Curry made some effort to get Cohen to break character, asking Aladeen what he thought of Cohen's performance in the Oscar-nominated film "Hugo," but Aladeen wouldn't bite, responding that he hadn't heard of "Hugo" and that the only films shown in his country were those written by and starring himself. "Hugo" was also distributed by Paramount.

He also tried to keep the anchors off-balance by throwing out questions such as "How is your eunuch, Al Roker?"

The joking ultimatum against the academy was repeated from a short video Cohen released to Deadline.com in which Aladeen addressed the academy as the "Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Zionists."

It's still unclear whether or not Cohen will show up at the Oscars on Sunday at all, or if he really intends to retaliate in some way against the academy. But as a way of drumming up interest in his upcoming movie in May, he's got the wheels of the promotion machine cranking in high gear already.

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Photo: Sacha Baron Cohen at the Golden Globe Awards. Credit: Hollywood Foreign Press Assn.

'The View' 'ambushed' Star Jones, says 'Today' show colleague

Donny Deutsch, Star Jones' colleague on the "Today's Professionals" regular segment of NBC's "Today" show, wasted no time at the start of Thursday's installment: He lashed out at Barbara Walters and the other co-hosts of "The View," saying those "mean girls" owed Jones an apology after her return on the show the previous day.

"They ambushed her yesterday," said Deutch in reference to Jones' return to the ABC daytime talk show, which she left under bitter circumstances nearly six years ago. He said it was like "watching the mean girls in the seventh-grade cafeteria take on a vulnerable girl."

Jones had returned to "The View" apparently to discuss her campaign to raise awareness of heart disease in women. It was her first time on the show since 2006, when she abruptly departed. When she was informed then that her co-hosting contract would not be renewed, she blindsided Walters on air by announcing she was leaving. She was gone the next day.

On Wednesday, after Walters warmly greeted Jones and embraced her, she almost immediately plunged into the topic of Jones' departure. Though Jones tried to deflect the topic, Walters pressed her.

"It was ugly," Jones said. "It was a bad emotional time. Nasty things were being said in the media. ...I made the decision that I wanted to go out on my own terms. I wanted to control it so that when I walked back in here, if I were ever invited back, I would feel good about coming in."

On "Today," Deutch said that Jones had made "a mistake in the past," but called Walters' and "The View's" treatment of Jones "cruel."

"I don't know if their numbers are down," he said. "But they owe Star an apology."

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Photo: Barbara Walters, left, embraces former co-host Star Jones as Joy Behar, right, looks on during "The View." Credit: Ida Mae Astute / ABC.

'19 Kids and Counting': Duggars talk miscarriage, new season

The Duggars of "19 Kids and Counting" made their first public appearance following the miscarriage of their 20th child Tuesday morning on "Today."

Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar appeared -- without their 19 children -- to promote the season premiere of "19 Kids," which airs Tuesday night on TLC. The premiere episode of the show's ninth season will deal with Michelle's December miscarriage of their 20th child, Jubiliee Shalom, and the aftermath -- a tough subject for a show that usually dwells on the joys of parenting.

Despite the miscarriage, Michelle told "Today" in the green room that "I would do it again."

Ann Curry, ever the hard newswoman, couldn't let the whole interview go by without bringing up a recent case in which a woman allegedly attempted to extort money from Discovery, TLC's parent company, claiming she had scandalous photographs of the Duggars' niece, Amy, with a much older man. The woman has since been arrested.

Jim Bob addressed the question, saying, "It ended up she just had some picture of this guy that Amy knows -- it's a family friend. They're standing beside each other. The pictures were of no substance at all. I guess she had some mental issues. We pray she can get her life straightened out."

As Curry noted, the Duggars left their kids at home for this trip to New York and planned a romantic Valentine's Day in the city. Will this trip result in another addition to the Duggar clan? Stay tuned.

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Photo: Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar pose with their 19th child, Josie. Scott Enlow / TLC

Ryan Seacrest, Joe Biden get almost political in radio chat

When it became clear last month that NBC might turn to Ryan Seacrest as the next host of the “Today” show, some newsies inside the network groaned. Would the top-rated morning show, once the home of serious news man Tom Brokaw, go irretrievably soft?

NBC has not shown its hand on a possible replacement for Matt Lauer, who has signaled he would like to move on. But Seacrest seems to be letting his interest show.

The “American Idol” host on Monday had Vice President Joe Biden on his radio show for what seemed to be an attempt to bring his gravitas quotient somewhere closer to his Q rating, the latter the traditional measure of the familiarity of public figures.

FULL COVERAGE: 'American Idol'

Seacrest teed up seven easy questions for the vice president and had listeners call in with another three on the theme of education and college affordability.

Not surprisingly, Biden would not rise to Seacrest’s attempts to get him to pick a preferred GOP opponent for the fall campaign. He also rejected the notion, despite persistent speculation, that Hillary Rodham Clinton might replace him on the Democratic ticket. And he got the chance to call Republicans "Darwinian" when it came to foreclosure; i.e., not so concerned with the feelings of those losing their homes.

Seacrest’s foray into “hard news” won’t evoke memories of, say, Sam Donaldson or Dan Rather. Listeners could hear some "uh-huhing" in apparent assent during the interview. But the host would appear to be aiming at a lower bar — showing he’s familiar with significant issues of the day and avoiding embarrassing gaffes.

Seacrest made his news foray as his biggest perch, “American Idol,” opened last week to relatively disappointing ratings.  The show drew 21.6 million viewers to start its 11th season, still very strong compared with other programs but a shadow of the 37.4 million who watched the 2007 opener.

While the end of the “Idol” phenomenon might not be in sight, Seacrest is savvy enough to be planning a soft landing elsewhere. And "Today" would seem to be on the itinerary if he can manage it. He has signaled his interest in luring other newsmakers on to the radio, including the presidential hopefuls.

Then why not on to some foreign affairs? Who knows who could be next: Vladimir Putin, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad are you listening?

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Photo: Ryan Seacrest  Credit: Matt Sayles /Associated Press

NBC's Bob Greenblatt: 'We had a really bad fall'

NBC Entertainment Chairman Bob Greenblatt didn't waste any time.

"We had a really bad fall," the new NBC programming chief said Friday to open the peacock network's sessions at the Television Critics Assn. press tour in Pasadena.  "It was worse than what I had hoped for."

For seven years now, NBC has been slipping further and further in the ratings, a painful reminder that the once preeminent TV network had not yet reached the bottom of its catastrophic descent. Last season was particularly bad as the network limped through the waning days of former NBCUniversal chief Jeff Zucker's regime, but this season has proved to be even worse.  

NBC's ratings are down 11% in the advertisers' favorite category of viewers ages 18 to 49, compared with last season. Much of their slate, including "The Playboy Club" and "Free Agents," opened with a whimper, leading to early cancellations. Overall, NBC remains in fourth place in the network prime-time standings, attracting 7.4 million viewers a night.  In contrast, network leader CBS pulls in more than 12 million viewers in prime-time. 

Later this month marks the first anniversary of the takeover of NBCUniversal by Philadelphia cable giant Comcast Corp. Comcast executives have repeatedly said that reviving the ailing broadcast network is NBCUniversal's priority, and they brought in Greenblatt to do just that.

The pleasant and polite Midwesterner and former TV and Broadway producer became a star as the programming chief of premium cable channel Showtime. While there, he launched a string of hits that explored deeply flawed characters, including "Dexter," "Weeds" and "Californication."

Now Greenblatt is focused on the flaws in NBC's schedule.  He was refreshingly candid Friday about NBC's considerable challenges: Veteran shows have been losing steam, and it has been six years since NBC launched a bona fide hit.

Donald Trump on politics, new 'Celebrity Apprentice' cast [Video]

Donald Trump went on "Today" to unveil the huge cast of the new season of "Celebrity Apprentice," but first he had to duck Matt Lauer's repeated questions about his presidential aspirations in the wake of the Iowa GOP caucuses.

Though Trump initially attempted to tell Lauer he wasn't going to discuss it because he's going to make a statement in a couple of weeks, the "Today" host wasn't buying Trump's dodging.

"Are you still getting people urging you to run?" Lauer asked. "We've known each other a long time, so I'm going to be blunt with you: The only person I hear talking about a Donald Trump run for the presidency right now is Donald Trump."

Trump claims he has millions of followers. But those followers will have to sit tight before they see Trump in any sort of presidential mode. He says he wouldn't be able to campaign (if he were to run) until after the last episode of "Celebrity Apprentice" airs in May.

Trump told Lauer he'd be more comfortable endorsing a candidate, but he wanted to see one of them break out. And with Mitt Romney and Rick Santorum separated by only eight votes in Iowa, that has yet to occur.

Political talk aside, Trump then introduced the big new cast for the show's 12th season (which has added three episodes). The competitors are:

— "American Idol" runner-up Clay Aiken

— Race car driver Michael Andretti

— "Real Housewives of New Jersey" star Teresa Giudice

— Former mob wife Victoria Gotti

— Comedienne Lisa Lampanelli

— Former Miss Universe Dayna Mendoza

— Twisted Sister rocker Dee Snider

— "American Chopper" star Paul Teutul Sr.

— Comedian Arsenio Hall

— Podcast host Adam Carolla

— "Incredible Hulk" star Lou Ferrigno

— Magician Penn Jillette of Penn & Teller

— "Star Trek" actor George Takei

— Supermodel Cheryl Tiegs

— Pop star Debbie Gibson

— Actress Tia Carrere

— Singer Aubrey O'Day

— Model Patricia Velasquez

Though not all the cast members were present in the "Today" studio, those seated in front of Trump and Lauer couldn't pass up the opportunity to curry favor with the new boss.

Lauer asked the cast members to show hands if they wanted to see Trump as president. Every one of them raised their hands. Lauer called them shameless.

Lampanelli went a step further. "I think he'd make a great husband," she added.

A marriage to Lisa Lampanelli? Not even Donald Trump will go that far.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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Photo: Donald Trump in "Celebrity Apprentice." Credit: NBC.

Kris Jenner: Kim's marriage 'wasn't a sham'

Personal matters are rarely private matters with the Kardashian clan. So it's no surprise that Kris Jenner, the co-maker of the Kardashian clan, appeared on NBC's "Today" Wednesday and discussed daughter Kim's quickie marriage. Hey, at least she waited two days, right?

To be fair, Jenner was there to promote her new book "Kris Jenner and All Things Kardashian"-- a memoir about "the good times and the rough patches" in the momager's life, according to the book's description on Amazon.com. But the topic eventually -- and understandably shifted to the marriage made in reality heaven, with Jenner attempting to clear up some misconceptions surrounding daughter Kim Kardashian's marriage to basketball player Kris Humphries.

During the sit-down, Jenner insisted the 72-day marriage wasn't just another scheme in building Kim's takeover of the world: "It certainly wasn't a sham, certainly wasn't for TV," Jenner said. "We have enough going on on our show that we don't have to make things up. She felt that she was in love with him. It was an amazing time ... I had no idea there was a problem at the time."

She went on to say that Kim, who headed to Australia after the divorce announcement, did not profit from the wedding extravaganza -- which viewers got to see in a two-day special on E!, the network that airs "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" and its sister shows. Rumors have swirled that E! bought the rights to the wedding for a reported $17.9 million.

Meredith Vieira's tearful goodbye on 'Today'

We all saw this day coming. Meredith Vieira finally bid farewell Wednesday morning to her "Today" show gig.

The two-hour send-off was complete with tears, custom-made shirts declaring love for the former co-host of "The View" and heartfelt salutations. (Al Roker: "You have changed my life." Matt Lauer: "I adore you.")

A choked-up Vieira joked that she didn't want to leave after all but the deed was done: "They changed the lock on my dressing room," she said.

Didn't catch the farewell? Check out the clip below, then follow in the 'Today' show team mentality and share what you'll miss about Vieira in our comments section.

 

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

 

— Yvonne Villarreal

twitter.com/villarrealy

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Video credit: NBC

 

Matt Lauer says he's not leaving 'Today' to join Katie Couric

During a press conference held by NBC News at 30 Rockefeller Plaza on Monday, following the announcement that Meredith Vieira will be leaving the "Today" show, her co-anchor Matt Lauer dismissed rumors that he will soon be following Vieira out the door. "I have a long-term deal with NBC," said Lauer, whose contract expires Dec. 31, 2012. "I'm gonna be here for a while."

Asked about rumors that he'd talked with his former "Today" co-anchor Katie Couric about teaming up on a future project, he confirmed that they'd discussed the possibility, but he said Couric's timetable was more accelerated than his -- she will step down from her "CBS Evening News" post in June -- and the negotiations just didn't work out. "I just determined that there really wasn't a need for us to continue the conversation right now because I'm not going anywhere," he said.

Meanwhile, Vieira told the crowd she's been planning her departure from "Today" since January, around the time NBC Universal Chairman Jeff Zucker stepped down from his post. "I was extremely torn, because I love it here, but I had personal issues that were weighing on me and I felt that I needed to really examine them closely," Vieira said.

She ultimately set a final "Today" appearance for June 8 because her daughter graduates from high school on June 9 and her son graduates from college June 12.

Although she acknowledged that she wants to spend more time with her family, she took issue with the idea that she's quitting to nurse her husband, who has struggled with multiple sclerosis."There's so much speculation in the press recently about poor Meredith and her invalid husband. I want to set the record straight on that," she said, adding that she feels this speculation "diminishes" both her husband and herself. "My husband Richard is in good health, and that's part of the reason I want to leave right now, because I appreciate what that means in a very deep way.... I want to appreciate our time together and not have to punch a clock so much."

-- Melissa Maerz

Photo: Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira. Credit: Richard Drew / Associated Press

It's official: Ann Curry will replace Meredith Vieira on 'Today'

Monday on NBC's "Today," Meredith Vieira made an emotional announcement that she will leave the morning show in June, with Ann Curry taking over as co-anchor. "This is a difficult day for me -- I'm gonna try to hold myself together here -- but after months of personal reflection and private conversations with my family and my friends, I've decided to leave 'Today,'" said Vieira, adding that she'd like to spend more time with her family. (Her husband has long battled multiple sclerosis and cancer.) She will continue in a new role at NBC News, with an official announcement due in the coming months.

Curry, who's been with the show 14 years, will transition from her post as news anchor, with Natalie Morales taking over that role. "I feel like the high school computer nerd who was just asked to the prom by the quarterback of the football team," Curry said on the air on Monday. But she added, “I think this day is really Meredith's. Meredith, I just want you to know you've been a gift to this broadcast. You have been generous, and you have been a great girlfriend."

The announcement was expected but was delayed due to last week's news about Osama Bin Laden's death. Co-anchor Matt Lauer said of Vieira, "She has brought class and dignity and talent and a joy of life to this show over these last five years, and we will miss you like crazy."

Lauer said of his new co-anchor, "Ann has been such a key member of this show ... has brought her warmth and desire to tell important stories to 'Today.'" Turning to Curry he said, "I know you'll continue to do that, so congratulations."

-- Melissa Maerz