Pauley Emotional Over ‘Today’ Exit

Ending a month of speculation about her future, Jane Pauley made it official Friday: She’s leaving the “Today” show after 13 years as co-anchor. In an emotional announcement during the broadcast, Pauley told viewers that she will depart at the end of the year, as previously had been reported, to start a prime-time news magazine.

Noting that she regretted recent rumors assigning “roles they did not play” in her departure to fellow anchors Bryant Gumbel and Deborah Norville, Pauley clutched hands with Norville at the anchor desk and received a glowing, gruff tribute to “my buddy here” from Gumbel.

Norville, who recently signed a 5-year contract with the network, will take over Pauley’s job as “Today” co-anchor.

“I feel like someone who is packing up to leave home,” Pauley said in an interview later. “There were tears when the staff got together after the show, but I feel excited about the future.”

In addition to the prime-time news magazine, for which Tom Brokaw has been mentioned as a possible co-host, Pauley will contribute reports as a special correspondent on the “NBC Nightly News.” She also will anchor a prime-time special in the spring on the subject of change in people’s lives.

Pauley’s departure comes after weeks of speculation about rivalry between Pauley and Norville, who in August was promoted to a role as news anchor that placed her side-by-side with Pauley and Gumbel.

“It’s out-and-out sexism,” Norville said in an interview Friday of the rumors. “Jane and I are friends, and to see that kind of portrayal denigrates the 12 years I’ve spent trying to grow as a news reporter.”

According to sources close to Pauley, NBC’s handling of Norville’s promotion was one of the factors in her decision to leave. “Today” has not only a new executive in charge, Dick Ebersol, but also a new senior executive producer, David Nuell, and Pauley is said to have been concerned about the direction of the show and her role in it.

Ebersol said Friday that he did not want the popular Pauley to leave “Today.” But she said, “All of these changes were cumulative. After 13 years, I thought, ‘I don’t need writing in the sky to say it’s time to go.’ ”