Tuning in to TV: Brokaw in ‘great health’ after hospital visit

NBC News special correspondent Tom Brokaw has been discharged from a Charlotte, N.C., hospital and pronounced “in great health” after feeling lightheaded during a TV appearance Thursday morning.

“After medical evaluation and a round of tests, Tom was pronounced in great health and has been discharged,” NBC News President Steve Capus said in a statement released Thursday afternoon.

Mr. Capus expressed gratitude to the Carolinas Medical Center for Mr. Brokaw’s excellent care.

Hours earlier, the network had reported that Mr. Brokaw felt “lightheaded” on the set of the news talk program “Morning Joe,” which originated this week from Charlotte, where the Democratic National Convention is taking place.

“Out of an abundance of caution,” the network said, Mr. Brokaw was taken to the hospital for examination.

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At about 10 a.m., Mr. Brokaw offered his own diagnosis with this Twitter post: “All is well Early AM I mistakenly took a half dose of Ambien and made less sense than usual. Made a better comeback than Giants.” Ambien is a brand name for a sleep inducer.

The 72-year-old Mr. Brokaw has been keeping a busy schedule of on-air appearances at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., last week and at the Democratic convention this week.

He has served as special correspondent for NBC News since stepping down as anchor of “NBC Nightly News” in 2004.

Katie Couric stakes claim in daytime talk

“What’s good is: People are interested. What’s bad is: People are too interested, sometimes.”

Katie Couric is grinning as she says this, but she isn’t kidding. And she has a point.

The fact that she’s about to launch a new daytime talk show (premiering in national syndication Monday; check local listings) has escaped almost no one’s notice, and Ms. Couric has done her best to bring her show to everyone’s attention, having thrown herself into a publicity blitz for weeks.

Ms. Couric is in a spotlight arguably as bright as she has ever known, maybe as searing as when she left NBC’s “Today” in 2006 after 15 years of ratings domination to claim the anchor desk of “The CBS Evening News.” During that five-year reign, for the first time, she proved fallible. Nothing she did could reconfigure the job to her particular strengths.

A year ago, she signed on with Disney/ABC, which is syndicating “Katie” and employs her as an ABC News special correspondent. In the latter role, she expects to contribute on an “as-needed basis,” she said. “I may be involved on election night in some capacity, and there may be some specials they want me to do.” She also may fill in for “Good Morning America” co-anchor Robin Roberts, on medical leave.

But “Katie,” she declared, is “my No. 1 priority, and it’s going to take a lot of time, attention and energy.”

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