The AP’s David Bauder previews the new AM TV wars:

“The first part of the ‘Today’ show summer mystery has been answered affirmatively: viewers did not abandon morning television’s pacesetter because Katie Couric left after 15 years. Now comes the second, more important question. Will those same viewers embrace Meredith Vieira?”

Highlights: Bauder says most of Steve Friedman‘s Early Show work “could be described as tinkering;” Jim Murphy says “it’s difficult to stop that machine,” referring to Matt Lauer; and the trickiest part of adding a fourth hour of Today “is figuring out logistics on newsy days when the first hour is redone live for the West Coast while the fourth hour is on in the East…”