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House3,168 posts since 13 Mar 2007
Tyne Tees Look North (North East)
Critique posted:
Just watched yesterday's TODAY, and I note that, a) due to the Breaking News they covered the first few top stories themselves, rather than having them done by the Headlines desk, b) mid link, handing back to the studio, after Ann had thrown to the OB, Matt picked it up and said 'I'll take it from here', with Ann picking up the close to the OB Matthew then linked to, and, despite the fact they were sitting together, Ann said 'here's Matt', and they cut the half metre between the pair to him.


During the first hour (7am ET), the main stories are usually covered by the main hosts, with the news anchor covering the other important stories that don't warrant as much attention (usually few reports and no interviews). It's only on days with a very light news schedule that they skip straight to the news desk. During the 8am and 9am hours, the news is usually only covered from the news desk. I don't think they have any news during the 10am Kathie-Lee & Hoda hour.

Also, during the first hour, the main hosts keep throwing to each other, sometimes with a time check (as in, "it's 7:07, now here's Matt"). It's just the way they do it.
House3,168 posts since 13 Mar 2007
Tyne Tees Look North (North East)
Matt Lauer Signs ‘Long-Term Deal’ To Stay With NBC’s Today Show
Quote:
The open-ended question of Matt Lauer‘s fate finally has an answer. NBC has signed Lauer to a multiyear contract, keeping him as a co-host with The Today Show. The news will officially be announced Friday morning.

According to The New York Times, Steve Capus, president of NBC News, “confirmed Thursday evening that Mr. Lauer had signed what he called ‘a long-term deal’ to continue as the leading figure on the most profitable show on NBC.”



More at Mediaite.com
House3,168 posts since 13 Mar 2007
Tyne Tees Look North (North East)
‘Good Morning America’ Poised to Break ‘Today’ Show’s 16-year Win Streak

Quote:
With the overnight ratings for Friday’s show just released, ABC’s “Good Morning America” appears to have won an entire week in the ratings — a feat which has not been accomplished in 852 weeks, since Dec., 1995 when Bryant Gumbel and Katie Couric were the “Today” anchors.

On Friday, “GMA” had a 333,000 total viewer lead on “Today,” enough to put it over the top for the week winning by just 13,000 viewers.


More at TVNewser.

Worth noting it was the week Matt was off.
House3,168 posts since 13 Mar 2007
Tyne Tees Look North (North East)
southwestman posted:
It's great to see Matt and Meredith hosting together side by side today for the London special celebrating the jubilee. Are NBC looking to recapture the partnership to get NBC back on top?


Fairly unsurprising that NBC let Ann take holiday today and yesterday. I really like Ann, but I think it's only a matter of time before she leaves Today. Her contract is up later this year, apparently, and I can imagine Meredith returning for a year or so on three or four day weeks with Savannah filling in the other days. It's hard to see how the Matt and Ann partnership is going to increase ratings over the coming months.
Joshua2,932 posts since 9 Jul 2005
The New York Times have published a story on the position of Ann Curry as co-anchor of TODAY, it very much seems that herself and NBC are in negotiations to move her to another post fairly soon.

NBC Is Said to Be Preparing to Replace Ann Curry on ‘Today’
Quote:
NBC executives are readying a plan to replace Ann Curry on the “Today” show, only a year after she became the co-host of the iconic franchise.

The planning — which is taking place in secret and has not been finalized — is effectively an admission that all is not well at “Today,” the show that invented morning television 60 years ago and has inspired countless lower-rated competitors since. “Today” consistently ranked No. 1 in the morning ratings until this spring, when ABC’s “Good Morning America” beat it for several weeks.

Several weeks ago, network officials and Ms. Curry began to discuss a different job for her, according to people with knowledge of the negotiations, who insisted on anonymity because the matter was confidential. Those discussions have continued and are expected to be completed before NBC’s coverage of the Summer Olympics begins in late July.

Full story: http://nyti.ms/KUpyWs
House3,168 posts since 13 Mar 2007
Tyne Tees Look North (North East)
Joshua posted:
The New York Times have published a story on the position of Ann Curry as co-anchor of TODAY, it very much seems that herself and NBC are in negotiations to move her to another post fairly soon.

NBC Is Said to Be Preparing to Replace Ann Curry on ‘Today’
Quote:
NBC executives are readying a plan to replace Ann Curry on the “Today” show, only a year after she became the co-host of the iconic franchise.

The planning — which is taking place in secret and has not been finalized — is effectively an admission that all is not well at “Today,” the show that invented morning television 60 years ago and has inspired countless lower-rated competitors since. “Today” consistently ranked No. 1 in the morning ratings until this spring, when ABC’s “Good Morning America” beat it for several weeks.

Several weeks ago, network officials and Ms. Curry began to discuss a different job for her, according to people with knowledge of the negotiations, who insisted on anonymity because the matter was confidential. Those discussions have continued and are expected to be completed before NBC’s coverage of the Summer Olympics begins in late July.

Full story: http://nyti.ms/KUpyWs


At least they're keeping her around, by the sounds of it. As much as I've enjoyed Ann hosting Today, she'd be better focusing on some of the moving reporting she can do, rather than co-hosting Today.

Anyway, assuming she does leave Today, I'm betting Savannah becomes co-host and that Tamron Hall replaces her in the 9am hour. Unlike when Savannah joined, Tamron could still keep her MSNBC programme. It would be interesting to see if it's Natalie or Tamron who would then fill in at the anchor desk - you get the impression the producers aren't impressed when Natalie's at the anchor desk (Matt's on-air chemistry with Natalie is probably worse than it is with Ann).

Also interesting they're in no rush to replace Amy Robach on Saturdays - wonder what the plan is there, considering a suggestion in a TVNewser article that Amy's departure is part of a wider weekend shake-up?
Joshua2,932 posts since 9 Jul 2005
I can't help but think Ann is much more suited to a news desk role, but now that its Natalie's position, its clear that if Ann is moved to another job, it will be outside of TODAY and most likely be a foreign correspondent role. That must be a huge transition for her, shes been with TODAY for about 15 years now.

Reading another New York Times article, you can't help but feel sorry for her. She is getting a lot of blame for the show being beaten by GMA in the ratings.
Quote:
But as you watch the show, there’s an inescapable sense that Ms. Curry is outside the group in a subtle but unmistakable way, like the stepsister Cinderella without a prince. Part of this is her on-screen rapport with Mr. Lauer, which is entirely cordial and professional but lacks an ease that he exhibited with both Ms. Vieira and her predecessor, Katie Couric.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/24/arts/television/ann-curry-and-the-ratings-for-today.html?pagewanted=2&_r=2&smid=tw-share
House3,168 posts since 13 Mar 2007
Tyne Tees Look North (North East)
Actually I think Natalie is then one I'd most describe as 'not fitting with the group', but as news anchor I don't think that matters as much. It's usually only after Natalie (or Ann before her) has finished the headlines that she has the opportunity for a lighter moment with the rest of the team, and I'd say with Natalie these moments often feel awkward. But ultimately it's such a small part of each hour, it doesn't matter in the way it does whether the co-hosts share chemistry (and Al/ the weather forecaster, too). I think this is why Ann worked at the news desk so well, but like Natalie, doesn't fit well at the anchor desk.

Part of me really hopes Ann can jump ship to CBS News as some sort of foreign correspondent and leave NBC behind, to be honest. I don't think NBC has handled the speculation - most of which appears to have originated from 30 Rockefeller Plaza itself - well or fairly, and I think they might be surprised by ratings not rebounding when Ann goes. Unless Ann's departure is part of a bigger shakeup, I think the seesaw with GMA will continue.
House3,168 posts since 13 Mar 2007
Tyne Tees Look North (North East)
http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/27/curry-set-to-announce-departure-from-today/?smid=tw-share

Quote:
Ann Curry will step down on Thursday morning from her co-host chair on NBC’s “Today” show, capping weeks of private negotiations with the network officials who have been trying to ease her out of the job that she has held for just over a year.

Ms. Curry said in an interview with USA Today that she will address her departure on the show. “I’m going to have to tell our viewers,” she said. “That’s what makes me more emotional than anything. I don’t want to leave them. I love them. And I will really miss them.”

She confirmed in the interview that the exit was NBC’s idea, not her own, and said she considered leaving the network altogether. Instead, she has accepted a proposal to become a roving correspondent for the network. Although co-hosting “Today” was her dream job, she said, “In my secret heart of hearts, I see this as a thrilling opportunity. To have a ticket to every big story in the world — no small matter.”



Nice to see she's being open about it; NBC have handled it incredibly badly. Savannah Guthrie still expected to replace her, after reportedly being offered the job.

Though Brian Stelter (above) reported she'd be leaving today, it seems more likely she'll leave tomorrow as there's been no mention during the 7am hour. He also thinks they may wait a week or two before a new co-host takes over, which makes me wonder if the opening will just be "This is Today, with Matt Lauer", as they don't namecheck substitute hosts.
Joshua2,932 posts since 9 Jul 2005
It must be a sad day for her seeing as shes spent 15 years at TODAY. A massive change for her, and one she doesn't really want to make, it seems.

I'm sure she may still announce it today, didn't Meredith announce her departure in the later, 8am/9am hour? I do wonder what kind of send-off they will give Ann, though.

Edit: Ann Curry announced that she is leaving the Today show at 8:50 this morning. She was incredibly emotional throughout her speech which was around 5 minutes long. Interesting to note, Meredith Vieira had an hour of 'farewell coverage', Ann got 5 minutes. It was much more sombre and quiet.

A telling quote from her
Quote:
"For all of you who thought of me as a groundbreaker, I'm sorry I couldn't carry the ball over the finish line... but man I did try."
Last edited by Joshua on 28 June 2012 2:40pm - 2 times in total