By selecting Mr. Melvin, a familiar face on the show, network executives chose to go the steadiest route possible.

Veteran NBC host and news anchor Craig Melvin has been tapped to replace Hoda Kotb as co-host of the 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. hours of “Today.”

Hoda Kotb and Craig Melvin had a secret code phrase for referring to him replacing her ahead of the official announcement on Today. Melvin, 45, told The New York Times in an interview published on Thursday,