By Howard Kurtz
Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, April 6, 2006 1:30 PM

NBC did not wait long. One day after Katie Couric announced that she is leaving the "Today" show, the network announced today that Meredith Vieira is the new co-host of the top-rated morning show.

Vieira, a onetime "60 Minutes correspondent," will be leaving her perch at ABC's all-female talk show, "The View," and will no longer dispense the big bucks on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire." Her multi-year package is said to be worth around $40 million.

On "The View" today, Vieira said she was honored to be invited to the job. "I could not possibly have been in this position today had it not been for all of you," she told the audience.

Vieira was far and away NBC's first choice, although correspondents Campbell Brown and Natalie Morales were also in the running.

Although Vieira was very satisfied with her current situation and concerned about her three children and her husband, Richard M. Cohen, who suffers from multiple sclerosis, she decided after discussions with her family that the "Today" opportunity was too tempting to reject. Vieira has turned down morning-show offers from CBS and ABC in the past.