Brokaw, Couric get 'Prime' slots
The changes will delay "Prime Story's" June 23 launch, but NBC News president Andrew Lack, who took charge of the beleaguered news division last month, said the show will debut this summer.
The changes at "Prime Story" put the newsmag's original anchors, Faith Daniels and Mike Schneider, who left ABC for an anchor slot on the NBC show, in limbo. Veteran NBC correspondent Fred Francis, who was originally to be part of a trio of anchors, will stay with the show in a senior correspondent capacity.
Lack, who built his reputation on prime time news programming, is anxious to put his mark on the news division. "I'm looking at a number of options," Lack said. "We've gota complicated puzzle here and I'm trying to figure out who fits best where."
The slot on the puzzle Lack has found for Friedman returns the voluble NBC News honcho to his old berth. Friedman spent seven years as the executive producer of "Today" before leaving for the ill-fated syndicated magazine show based on USA Today.
Friedman returned to NBC News three years ago to take the reigns of "The NBC Nightly News," which generally finishes third in the evening news race.
He left "Nightly News" last January for the "Prime Story" post and signed a new two-year contract.
Meanwhile, Lack has yet to fill the top slot at "Nightly News." The prime candidate is veteran ABC News honcho Jeff Gralnick.
"It's not a done deal," said Lack. "But we are talking."
