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Katie Couric is returning to NBC as a co-host of the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, the network announced today.
Couric will join Mike Tirico for the event that kicks off NBC Sports coverage of the Games on Feb. 9.
Couric is a former co-anchor of NBC’s “Today,” where she became one of television’s most popular personalities. “Today” was the most watched morning program during the last 15 years of her tenure, which ended in 2006.
Couric left “Today” to become anchor of the “CBS Evening News,” a job she held for five years. Most recently she has been at work on a six-part documentary series for National Geographic Channel.
Her return to NBC was the idea of Jim Bell, president of production and programming for NBC Olympics. Bell was executive producer of “Today” during Couric’s years on the program.
“This is a one-off thing which is really fun and really nice,” she told the Los Angeles Times. “I have deep admiration for the people at NBC Sports. They do a great job.”
Couric has handled the opening ceremony duties in the past during her years on “Today,” as part of the program’s Olympics coverage in Sydney, Australia, in 2000, Salt Lake City in 2002 and Athens in 2004.
NBC Sports also announced that it would stream the opening ceremony live at 1 a.m. Feb. 9 without commentators. The coverage with Tirico and Couric airs on tape delay in prime time.
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