NEW YORK (AP) – NBC has granted Maria Shriver a leave of absence while her husband, actor Arnold Schwarzenegger, runs for governor of California.

Shriver asked for and received the leave to avoid any appearances of a conflict of interest for NBC News, spokeswoman Caryn Mautner said Friday.

The recall election is scheduled for Oct. 7.

Shriver is an NBC News correspondent and a contributing anchor for the network’s newsmagazine, “Dateline NBC.” She’s considered a candidate for the full-time co-anchor slot beside Stone Phillips that was vacated in May by Jane Pauley.

NBC News hasn’t named Pauley’s successor, and Mautner said there was no timetable for doing so.