But of course when people watch morning television, Terry, it’s a very different animal. You know, they’re running around, they’re getting their kids ready for school, they’re probably doing eight million things, they’re brushing their teeth.

I’ve always tried to stay true to my authentic self.

I know there’s a great deal of speculation, and while I appreciate the interest, kind of, my contract ends in May and I’m trying to figure out what I’m going to do. I’m fortunate to have a couple of opportunities to think long and hard about.

And I’ve always – the competition is one aspect of the job, but I think if you’re too busy worrying about the competition, you don’t focus enough on what you’re doing.

He would take the blow so you didn’t have to.

And they like being able to turn on the television day in and day out to see someone that they know and they feel comfortable with and trust hopefully and respect even.

I think sometimes people project things on you, but I’m trying to handle everything that’s happened to me with a certain amount of grace, dignity and good manners. You just can’t necessarily win all the time.

A lot people I know – it drives them crazy when they’re watching, to see the people with their signs and waving, but there’s something that’s very inclusive about it.

You can’t please everyone, and you can’t make everyone like you.

They see us interacting with people, they see us doing serious interviews, they see us having fun, and when you’re conversing with someone, you get a much clearer impression of who that person is than if they are just reading into a news piece.

So I don’t really focus too much on that, and I think it’s dangerous if your goal in life is to get the other guy, then you’re not going to be doing a really quality job yourself.

At least for me personally, I’ve always tried to do a really good job every day, with each interview, and treat each interview seriously, and make the person I’m speaking with feel comfortable, hopefully make it an ideal experience.

I beg. I call. I badger. I cajole. Part of the secret is everyone has fun and that’s really motivating.

I could announce one morning that the world was going to blow up in three hours and people would be calling in about my hair!

Obviously, people in Texas have big hearts.

You know, you’ve got serious pieces, you’ve got light pieces, you’ve got cooking segments, you’ve got health-related topics, so it’s not as if they’ve had a unique personality from the get-go.

I don’t know the vast majority of you personally, and it may sound kind of corny, but I really feel as if we’ve become friends through the years. And you’ve been with me during a lot of good times and some very difficult ones. I can’t tell you how grateful I am.

All three networks have always had a morning show but now cable of course is taking some of that audience away and a variety of other things, probably the Internet as well.

But, you know, they don’t enjoy the dinner hour together. It’s just not as much of a ritual at night and it’s interesting. I think the ritual is taking place perhaps more in the morning.

Now, if they’re there to talk about something specifically, and I determine through my own editorial judgment, that another area isn’t germane, or isn’t an important part of it, that’s something else. But we never agree to anything in advance, absolutely not.

I feel like a human pinata. The disappointing thing is, no candy is going to spill out.

He was always sort of a scrappy little kid wasn’t he? A bit of a fighter?

You see, that’s the problem I have with “you people.”

Sometimes I think change is a good thing.

But of course when people watch morning television, Terry, it’s a very different animal. You know, they’re running around, they’re getting their kids ready for school, they’re probably doing eight million things, they’re brushing their teeth.

If I hear the word ‘perky’ again, I’ll puke.

That studies have shown that more people are getting up earlier, they’re getting their news earlier. They’re getting less sleep, getting up at earlier hours.