Lauer to Host Discovery’s Greatest American

NBC Today host Matt Lauer will help Discovery Channel to find the Greatest American.

Lauer will host the cable network’s 20th-anniversary special event, a seven-hour primetime program set to air this summer.

Discovery and America Online Inc. first announced their search for the “Greatest American” of all-time last month.

The cable network and the Internet-service provider teamed up on a campaign that combines original television and online programming with interactive online features. Viewers and surfers can submit nominations and vote through AOL.com (www.aol.com/greatestamerican) or at AOL Keyword: Greatest American.

“Having had the chance to interview a number of America's top newsmakers, celebrities and extraordinary citizens, I am looking forward to seeing who America thinks are the greatest Americans,” Lauer said in a prepared statement.

“Ask your friends and family who they think are the greatest Americans, and you can be sure it will get them talking -- that's exactly what the series will do," he added.