By SAMANTHA ETTUS
11-NOV-05

A few months ago, we could hardly escape the early morning battle for ratings starring Diane Sawyer and Katie Couric, the respective headliners of Good Morning America and The Today Show. Their high profiles got us thinking about the up and comers, the future Katies, Matts, and Dianes, who are establishing themselves as the voices of a new generation. This week we take a look at three such contenders – Soledad O'Brien, Julie Chen, and Dan Abrams. How have they managed their careers, and are they making decisions that will positively impact their futures and lead them to the top?

Soledad O'Brien
Though young, O'Brien has already had a long career in television. After a four year stint as the host of Weekend Today, O'Brien is now the face of CNN's American Morning, and America can't seem to get enough of her. The Harvard educated O'Brien is beautiful, bright, and on top of it all, the mother of four children under age five. She is vocal about the challenge of balancing motherhood with her career, a fact that has unintentionally served to solidify her appeal. O'Brien's serious yet kind nature makes her easy to enjoy and has allowed her to escape the criticism that has haunted both Diane and Katie. With Katie working hard to transcend her cutesy image and Diane trying to overcome her often stoic facade, it is common for people to fervently "love" or "hate" them. In contrast, O'Brien's disarming, effortlessly endearing personality makes her simply likable, and we imagine she prefers that kind of low-key fame.

Soledad O'Brien's Celebrity A$$$$ets

Julie Chen
Chen is one of four anchors on CBS' The Early Show, part of a team faced with the gargantuan task of not only keeping the show afloat, but also stealing a slice of the pie from The Today Show and Good Morning America. Chen, in her current role for three years, doubles as the host of CBS' reality show Big Brother, an unusual arrangement for a respected anchor. Though the Big Brother gig increases her visibility, she may find it more difficult to establish a persona with sufficient gravity should she ever desire to become a full fledged hard news reporter. But Chen has encountered daunting obstacles before, and there is no reason to believe she would be unable to make the transition. When Chen started dating CBS President Les Moonves, she was railed as an unsympathetic homewrecker, for Moonves was at the time still married with two children. But Moonves' subsequent divorce and marriage to Chen served to legitimize their union, moderating Chen's negative image. And though she has been dogged by continued speculation that her husband helped her climb the corporate ladder, Chen has proven capable of handling the roles she has secured. So with a rising profile, Chen looks poised for even greater success; at this point, it is her game to win.

Julie Chen's Celebrity A$$ets

Dan Abrams
Abrams is living the lawyer's dream. Having leveraged his career as an attorney into a role as a Court TV reporter 13 years ago, he now headlines The Abrams Report for MSNBC. The OJ Simpson trial was Abrams' big break, leading to a job as NBC's chief legal correspondent. But that was just the beginning. Two years ago Abrams was given his own MSNBC show, and he also makes frequent appearances on Dateline, NBC Nightly News and The Today Show. His confident, no nonsense style is a great complement to his boyish looks. Abrams has experienced his share of drama over the last four years – he went public with his successful battle against prostate cancer and broke off an engagement to actress Elizabeth Rohm – but there is nothing standing in the way of his career's impressive trajectory. Still, while Abrams has tremendous potential and continues to gain popularity at the relatively tender age of 39, the one thing he lacks now is a wife. It has been proven that America likes its anchors married, and for Abrams, who's so close to solidifying his footing as a national icon, a partner by his side would be icing on the cake.

Dan Abram's Celebrity A$$$ets

Remember: the most dependable road to the top is to treat your brand as your greatest asset.

(Samantha Ettus’ new book, "The Experts' Guide to Life at Home" (Random House) is now in bookstores. Contact her at Samantha@celebrityassets.com.)