SHRIVER, MATSON WILL CO-HOST ‘SUNDAY TODAY’ : NBC NAMES SHRIVER, MATSON CO-HOSTS

Maria Shriver and Boyd Matson were named Thursday as co-hosts of NBC’s new “Sunday Today,” a 90-minute news, sports and features program that will air Sunday mornings, starting Sept. 20.

Shriver, who is married to actor Arnold Schwartzenegger and lives in Los Angeles, will commute to New York to do the program, spending three days each week here, an NBC News spokesman said.

Garrick Utley, a 23-year veteran at NBC News, will be the program’s principal correspondent. Al Roker, previously with WNBC-TV here, will do the weather, with Bill Macatee signed to cover sports for the program.

Matson was a general assignment reporter and early morning anchor for NBC-owned KNBC-TV Channel 4 in Los Angeles from 1974-79, when he joined NBC News. He moved to New York in 1985 as a correspondent for the network.

Shriver, a niece of Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.), previously was a correspondent on NBC News’ low-rated “1986” magazine series until its cancellation last December.

She joined NBC News last September after leaving CBS News, where she had been co-anchor with Forrest Sawyer of the troubled “CBS Morning News.”

The chief competitor of “Sunday Today” will be the 8-year-old “CBS Sunday Morning.” NBC’s new program will air from 8-9:30 a.m. EDT. Its executive producer is Steve Friedman, who also is executive producer of NBC’s top-rated weekday “Today” show.