and go to class Monday morning." In January 1979, she conducted a live interview with President Jimmy Carter. Norville joined WAGA-TV as a full-time reporter after graduating and was named weekend anchor in October 1979. In 1982, she was hired as a reporter and later an anchor by WMAQ-TV, the NBC-owned station in Chicago. A brief glimpse of Norville on a billboard, during her time at WMAQ-TV can be seen in the background in the 1986 film Running Scared starring Gregory Hines and Billy Crystal. In 1986, when it was announced Norville would be joining NBC News in New York, Mayor Harold Washington declared "Deborah Norville Week" in Chicago. NBC News Norville joined NBC News in January 1987 as anchor of NBC News at Sunrise, becoming the only solo female anchor of a network newscast. Ratings on Sunrise jumped 40 percent when she joined the program, which led to her being asked to occasionally substitute on NBC's Today Show. In August 1989, a documentary in which Norville was the primary host, Bad Girls, on violent teenaged girls, was the seventh most watched show the week it aired, according to Nielsen ratings. In September 1989, Norville was named news anchor on Today. Soon after, Today co-host Jane Pauley announced her desire to leave the Today Show, and Norville was named her successor. Pauley went on to host a prime-time show, Real Life with Jane Pauley. Norville became co-host of Today in January 1990. During her tenure on Today, she won an Emmy award for her role in NBC's coverage of the democratic uprising in Romania. Ratings on Today declined after Norville's arrival. NBC management was accused of mishandling the transition. One insider told People magazine, "NBC handled the whole situation in a very poor manner. I don't think she [Deborah] blames anyone in particular. I just think she feels the situation was handled unprofessionally—in an undignified manner for both her and Jane." After Norville took maternity leave on the birth of her first child, she did not return to the program. Norville was subsequently replaced on Today by Katie Couric. ABC Network Radio In May 1991, ABC TalkRadio Networks announced Deborah Norville would be hosting a prime-time program, broadcast from her homes in New York and Long Island. The Deborah Norville Show: From Her Home to Yours featured newsmaker interviews and listener calls. It ran from September 1991 to October 1992,