Meredith Vieira

A respected television journalist whose reporting earned her six Emmy awards, Meredith Vieira also became one of the most recognizable faces on daytime TV, thanks to her hosting duties on "The View" (ABC, 1997- ) and "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" (ABC, 1999- ), as well as "Today" (NBC, 1952- ). Vieira initially began her journalism career on a local Massachusetts radio station, and later, on television as a reporter and anchor on stations in Rhode Island and New York. When she became the Chicago bureau chief for "The CBS Evening News with Dan Rather" (CBS, 1981-2005), Vieira's reputation and profile increased, leading to morning show work for CBS, a stint as a news magazine correspondent for ABC, as well as a host spot on "Intimate Portrait" (Lifetime, 1999- ). The key turning point in Vieira's career came when she was brought on to moderate Barbara Walter's daytime talk show, "The View" (ABC, 1997- ). The often bawdy and hilarious co-host continued to branch out, stepping in as host for the daytime version of the popular game show "Who Wants to be a Millionaire" (syndicated, 2002- ). Vieira caused a minor stir when she chose to leave the highly successful "The View" in order to fill the position vacated by Katie Couric on "Today" (NBC, 1952- ), although the deal did allow her to return to journalism with regular contributions as a correspondent on "Dateline NBC" (NBC, 1991- ). Recurring guest spots on the Tina Fey series "30 Rock" (NBC, 2006-13), and cameos in films like "Get Him to the Greek" (2010) also added an enjoyable diversion to Vieira's regular duties. Highly regarded as professional and personable, Vieira became a mainstay of American media, comfortably existing in the realms of journalism and entertainment.