'Meredith Vieira' Renewed for Season Two on NBC Owned Television Stations

In a surprise early-season pick-up, the NBC Owned Television Stations have renewed NBCU’s Meredith Vieira for a second season. Meredith is the first of this year’s rookie class to be granted a second year, although CBS Television Distribution’s Hot Bench also looks like a good candidate for renewal.

Meredith Vieira — hosted by Vieira accompanied by an announcer, Jon Harris, and a band led by Everett Bradley — premiered Sept. 8, and is sold in 98% of the country. Thus far, the show has averaged a 1.2 live plus same day household rating, according to Nielsen Media Research, and in the week ended Oct. 19, gained 16% to a 0.7 among daytime’s key demographic of women 25-54.

“We are proud to have Meredith Vieira on our stations for a second season,” said Valari Staab, president, NBCUniversal Owned Television Stations, in a statement. “Meredith is genuine, smart, warm and funny, and she has our strong support to help her continue to grow her show in this very challenging day part.”

Meredith Vieira is taped in front of a live studio audience at Rockefeller Center in New York City. It’s produced and distributed in the U.S. by NBCUniversal Domestic TV Distribution. Vieira serves as executive producer along with Rich Sirop and Michael Glantz.

Paige Albiniak

Contributing editor Paige Albiniak has been covering the business of television for more than 25 years. She is a longtime contributor to Next TV, Broadcasting + Cable and Multichannel News. She concurrently serves as editorial director for The Global Entertainment Marketing Academy of Arts & Sciences (G.E.M.A.). She has written for such publications as TVNewsCheck, The New York Post, Variety, CBS Watch and more. Albiniak was B+C’s Los Angeles bureau chief from September 2002 to 2004, and an associate editor covering Congress and lobbying for the magazine in Washington, D.C., from January 1997 - September 2002.