ITV News' Deborah Turness is expected to be named the next president of NBC News, succeeding Steve Capus who left the post in February, according to a person with knowledge of the appointment.
Turness, currently the editor of the U.K.'s ITV News, would become the first female network news division president in the United States. Her name first surfaced as a candidate for NBC News' top job in a Los Angeles Times report in April.
A spokesperson for NBC News declined to comment.
Turness has led ITV News since 2004, and worked at Britain's ITN for 25 years. NBC News and ITV have had a content-sharing agreement since 2011 allowing them to share correspondents and resources in Africa and the Middle East.
Capus, who had held the president role for eight years, left at a time that NBC News was showing some vulnerability, with the Today show falling to second place and Sunday public affairs show Meet the Press facing pressure from CBS' Face the Nation. Its Nightly News with Brian Williams remains in first place.
NBC News Group chairman Pat Fili-Krushel, who was installed by NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke last July, has been leading the search for the news division president and Turness would likely report to her.
