Kathie Lee Gifford Back to the Mornings

Insiders tell TVNewser the big announcement promised by Matt Lauer Friday morning is that Kathie Lee Gifford will be joining the Today show. The announcement will be made during the 7:30am half hour with Gifford on hand.

Starting next Monday, Gifford will be teamed with Hoda Kotb to anchor the network’s seven-month-old fourth hour. Insiders tell us Gifford and Kotb took part in a photo shoot Saturday to promote the pairing. The fourth hour of the Today show airs at 10am most markets, meaning Gifford will go head to head in some parts of the country with her former co-host of Live Regis Philbin.

> Related: The Washington Post reviews the fourth hour of Today: an “excruciating additional 60 minutes…dominated by extreme weight-loss stories, ambush makeovers and recipes for carrot cake so good that it will make a man propose.”

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