Couric Hires An Outside Publicist

“NBC News star Katie Couric – whose public image has suffered a few slings and arrows in all the coverage of her morning-show rivalries and future career plans – has retained PR veteran Matthew Hiltzik of the London-based Freud Communications to help her navigate the treacherous waters when and if she jumps ship for CBS when her contract expires May 31,” Lloyd Grove reports. Hiltzik says “Katie didn’t want to burden the NBC staff with non-NBC-related issues.”

> Also: “The Today show anchor — who recently turned 49 — says that someone mistook her for her daughter’s grandmother last week,” the NY Post notes…

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