It's all Katie And Matt's fault. Ever since the Today show ingeniously took to the sidewalk, Manhattan's byways have become clogged by sleep-deprived tourists clamoring for a close-up. Along with the Statue of Liberty, the Empire State Building, and the Soup Nazi, the NBC window is now among the Big Apple's hottest tourist attractions, drawing more than 1 million people by the network's estimation during the last five years.
Of course, since the view has also helped juice the show's ratings (Today has been the No. 1 morning show since 1995, averaging a 5.8 million audience), NBC no longer has the only window on the block. ABC's Good Morning America debuted its Times Square studio in September (boosting viewership from 3.8 million to 4.5 million in a month). Across the street, MTV's TRL, which launched in September '98 and hit ratings highs (more than a million viewers) last summer, has become a pit stop for any teen on a Manhattan mosh. And in November, CBS' new morning offering, The Early Show, to be hosted by Bryant Gumbel and Jane Clayson, plans to broadcast from a new studio on Fifth Avenue -- barring any delay from a lawsuit. The swanky Sherry-Netherland Hotel, across the street from CBS' Trump International Plaza set, asked a state court in late September to rescind the network's permit to use the plaza as a stage. According to the suit, the hotel fears that ''people will be waving and shouting and creating that fake Beatlemania-like sensation.''
While CBS and the hotel fight it out in court, here's how you can make the most of your visits to NBC, ABC, and MTV's looking glasses.
TODAY (NBC)
WHEN/WHERE Daily, 7-9 a.m., at the southwest corner of 49th Street and Rockefeller Plaza
THE LOWDOWN Al Roker mingles with the crowd before and during his weather segments (at 7:30, 8 , and again at 8:30). Also at 8:30 -- weather permitting -- Katie Couric, Matt Lauer, and Ann Curry offer a brush with greatness.
WHERE TO STAND FOR YOUR CLOSE-UP The cameras change position every day, so try to figure out where they're at and stand across from them. Get there by 5 a.m. for a front-row spot, though during the summer concert series, insomniacs line up as early as 3. On weekends, the crowds are noticeably smaller -- the host is Soledad O'Brien -- and your chances of saying ''Hi, Mom'' are greatly improved.
DO'S Bring cupcakes -- Al can't resist a tourist bearing treats. Other props: matching outfits, ''Happy Birthday'' or ''Just Married'' posters, or rent a kid. ''They all love really cute babies,'' says Today show publicist Allison Gollust.
DON'TS Flashing, streaking, or any other funny stuff. ''We just ignore them,'' Gollust says.
FIGHTING THE ELEMENTS In case of rain, pick up an umbrella a block away at Duane Reade (48th Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues; it opens at 7:30 a.m.). Or you can wait out the weather in upscale coffee emporium Dean & DeLuca (which opens at 6:30), where you can also find the...
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