Good sport: Visser hosting ‘Early Show’

CBS Sports personality Lesley Visser will co-host “The Early Show” with Jane Clayson the week of Aug. 12 – Visser’s first experience co-hosting a morning TV show.

“It’s a completely unexpected opportunity,” says Visser. “Really, in this case I’m just a relief pitcher on loan from sports.

“[CBS News president] Andrew Heyward called and said, ‘We’d like to give you a shot,’ ” says Visser. “I thought about what Billy Jean King once said: ‘Pressure is a privilege.’ “

Visser, who’s married to veteran sportscaster Dick Stockton, says don’t read too much into her “Early Show” co-hosting gig (translation: she’s not a candidate to replace Bryant Gumbel).

“I told Andrew and [CBS chief] Les Moonves that I would do this with the understanding that I’m not pursuing a permanent position,” says Visser. “I really love sports, which I’ve been covering since 1974.

“This is just a chance for me to flex some different muscles.”

Dutch masters get best of Fulton

“As the World Turns” star Eileen Fulton missed inking a new deal with the CBS soap – after being duped by a Dutch TV show.

Fulton was recently taken, by car, to the W Hotel, ostensibly to be interviewed by Japanese television about her long career (she joined “ATWT” in 1956).

“I was interviewed by a Mrs. Hirosaki, who was very shy and spoke very poor English,” Fulton says. “We talked and I tried to answer her questions for about 90 minutes . . . but she acted very strangely. We talked about my husbands on the show, and I said I’ve had eight [husbands] on the show but only three in real life – and she said, ‘Did you kill them?’ “

Just when Fulton was starting to think she might be the victim of a “Candid Camera”-type stunt, her Japanese interviewer pulled off her wig and glasses, spit out her teeth and revealed herself to be Wendy Van Dyke, the host of Dutch TV’s “Ushie & Van Dyke Show,” which has also pulled the same stunt on Jerry Springer and Marc Anthony.

“She said, ‘Please don’t be upset with me, don’t be angry,’ ” Fulton said. “She said, ‘I hope you didn’t miss an appointment’ and I said yes, I did – I was supposed to sign my contract for ‘As the World Turns.’ ” Fulton ended up inking her new “ATWT” deal (for three years) this past Tuesday.

This just in . . .

Cynthia Fagan will produce Ch. 5’s 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts, tentatively scheduled to launch next month.

Phil Donahue’s “Donahue” on MSNBC dropped to 700,000 viewers Tuesday – down from 1.1 million viewers on Monday.

Ch. 13’s analog antenna on the Empire State Building was moved up yesterday from the 81st Floor to the mast (1,250 feet) – meaning better reception for Ch. 13’s over-the-air viewers.

Wayne Brady in town with his producer, Robert Morton, wining and dining Ch. 7 execs at Le Cirque. “The Wayne Brady Show” kicks off Sept. 2 on Ch. 7 (10 a.m.).

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