Katie Couric to Guest-Host on 'Good Morning America'

Yahoo TV

Katie Couric is returning to morning television, but only for a limited time and not (repeat: NOT) on the "Today" show where she spent 15 years.

Katie Couric is returning to morning television, but only for a limited time and not (repeat, not) on the "Today" show where she spent 15 years.

Next week, Couric will sit on for a vacationing Robin Roberts on ABC's "Good Morning America." Ouch. Feel the burn, NBC. The move comes at a time when "Good Morning America" is close to overtaking the "Today" show in the ratings. With Couric sitting in, it might be enough to push "GMA" over the top. This would be a huge deal in the morning TV news world. "Today" has been the top dog for 800+ weeks.

We spoke to Jeffrey Schneider, senior vice president of communications at ABC News. He said Katie's one-week gig is "very exciting." He continued, "The show ("GMA") has had great momentum over the past several months. We're closing the gap between us and the "Today" show." Indeed, the gap is getting smaller and smaller. During the week of March 19, "GMA" trailed "Today" by about 150,000 total viewers. That's the closest the show has been in 17 years.

According to Fox News, Couric's decision to sit alongside George Stephanopoulos and company at the alphabet network has shocked the folks at "Today." A staff member reportedly told Fox News that "there were jaws dropping all over the place" at NBC. "Then there was a lot of sniping." Dra-ma!

Couric was recently spotted in the audience for ABC's hit show "Dancing With the Stars." That's synergy, folks! She has long been a vocal fan of the show and has (more than once) gone on record as saying she would love to be a contestant. Just last year, she tweeted, "DWTS is my guilty pleasure! 1 day hope I'll be on it . . . b4 I'm using a walker! Ha! But there might not be enuf anti perspirant (sic) on the planet!"

See Tom Bergeron joking with Couric on Tuesday's "DWTS":

While there's little doubt the producers of "DWTS" would jump at the chance to have Couric do the cha-cha in prime time, her schedule may be too hectic. In addition to her one week stint on "Good Morning America," she is preparing for the launch of her new daytime talk show in September. The throne that was vacated by Oprah is still up for grabs.