Carson Daly Will Co-Anchor ‘Saturday Today’

Carson Daly has held forth for NBC in late night, weekday mornings and primetime. Now he’s going to add Saturday A.M. to the list.

Daly, who has worked for NBC on shows such as “Last Call” and “The Voice” since 2002, will expand his roster of duties by becoming the co-anchor on “Saturday Today” opposite Laura Jarrett. The pairing is meant to fill a role previously occupied by Peter Alexander in more permanent fashion after he left for a new anchor role at MS NOW. Daly starts in his new role on November 7.

The move strengthens Daly’s ties to “Today,” where he has served as a correspondent and co-anchor since 2013. Daly initially offered updates on trending popular culture on social media, but over the years has become more integrated into the morning show’s coterie of anchors. He is expected to continue appearing on the weekday “Today” broadcast, meaning he will work six days a week for NBC News. He will also continue to host and executive produce “The Voice” and executive produce “The Voice: Celebrity.”

“Carson has been an integral part of the ‘Today’ family for the past 13 years, and we are thrilled that our viewers get to spend one more day of the week with him,” said Libby Leist, executive vice president of Today and lifestyle at NBC News, in a statement. “Carson and Laura make a great team, and we can’t wait for this fresh new chapter of ‘Saturday Today.'”

While Daly is not known as a hard news journalist, he has years of experience as a host and interviewer, having worked in radio and for MTV. NBC News believes he and Jarrett, who specializes in legal issues, will complement each other. Joe Fryer, a feature anchor who also works on “Saturday Today,” will remain on the show as well, as will meteorologist Angie Lassman.

NBC is recalibrating the Saturday “Today” lineup after ABC recently shuffled the anchor lineups for the weekend editions of “Good Morning America.” Rachel Scott, the Disney news division’s senior political correspondent, began co-anchoring Saturday telecasts of “Good Morning America” on September 12, while Rhiannon Ally, who has worked on overnight programs, now appears Sundays. Scott is paired with Whit Johnson, while Ally is teamed with Gio Benitez.

Daly’s arrival on Saturdays seems aimed at giving the show more of its own identity, much like Willie Geist’s “Sunday Today” telecasts, which feature in-depth interviews, or the Saturday edition of “CBS Mornings,” which has focused on music and food.

In the recent past, NBC News staffed “Saturday Today” with journalists tied to coverage of Washington. D.C. Before Jarrett arrived, Alexander was paired with Kristen Welker, who now moderates NBC News’ “Meet the Press.” For a time, NBC News even had those two anchors host the Saturday program from the nation’s capital.

Daly and Jarrett will start a new era this weekend. “I’m thrilled to add ‘Saturday Today’ to my weekday morning schedule. My kids asked if I’ll still make pancakes. I told them yes, but I’ll be making them for Laura, Joe and Angie instead,” Daly said in a statement. “I’m equal parts grateful and excited for this opportunity.”