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  • Ann Curry Treatment: Is Brian Williams In for the Same?

    Ann Curry was fired from her position as co-host of the Today show several years back, and is rarely seen on the network any more. Is this the same treatment Brian Williams will receive now that it’s confirmed he won’t return to NBC Nightly News, but will instead be replaced by Lester Holt on a permanent basis?

    Us Weekly reported at the time that the last days Ann Curry spent at Today were ‘torture,’ and that the staff loved to pick on her.

    Is this what Brian Williams is about to face?

    In an interview with Matt Lauer–who was long blamed for the firing of Ann Curry–that aired on Today Friday morning, Williams admitted (finally) that he lied.

    “I said things that weren’t true,” he told Lauer.

    “Looking back, it had to have been ego that made me think I had to be sharper, funnier, quicker than anybody else, [to] put myself closer to the action, having been at the action in the beginning,” he said. “I own this and I own up to this.”

    Word hasn’t emerged as to the pay cut Brian Williams no doubt had to take with this huge demotion. In a like manner, word hasn’t emerged as to whether Lester Holt will earn anywhere near what Williams’s salary was when he anchored NBC Nightly News.

    Do you suppose Ann Curry is quietly waiting in the wings, watching? Is she wondering if Brian Williams will receive the same treatment she received when she was so shamelessly demoted from her Today show anchor’s chair?

  • Savannah Guthrie: Three More Years at ‘Today,’ and Interview With President Obama

    Savannah Guthrie can honestly say that 2015 is off to an excellent start. Earlier in January her contract as Matt Lauer’s co-anchor at the Today show was extended for three more years. And next week–on Super Bowl Sunday–she’ll conduct her first interview with President Obama during the pre-game show.

    On the two days leading up to the Super Bowl, Savannah Guthrie, along with Today show colleague Al Roker, will host the show from from Block 23 in Phoenix, Arizona. NBC will begin coverage of the Super Bowl on Sunday, February 1st at noon. The game begins at 6:30 PM ET.

    President Obama is expected to talk with Guthrie about his “State of the Union address, the growing threat of ISIS, and what laws the country can get passed as Obama works with a fully-controlled Republican Congress.”

    This is a huge step for Savannah Guthrie, who came on board the Today show at a time when many viewers were upset about Ann Curry’s firing from the show.

    “It required a delicate touch,” Guthrie recalled. “My own approach was not to go in there with guns blazing, saying, ‘Pay attention to me.’ It called for someone to come in, put their head down and do the work. I tried to be a credit to the show and not another problem.”

    The past two times President Obama was interviewed during the Super Bowl pre-game show, it was Matt Lauer at the helm. Do you suppose this weighs heavily upon Savannah Guthrie?

    “I hope to leave a favorable impression,” she said.

    And she’ll no doubt do just that. Guthrie, a new mom to baby Vale, has a way about her that appears to make her interviewees want to open up to her. That’s key in the job she holds–one she’s likely thrilled to learn she’ll be holding for at least three more years.

    Will you be tuning in to the Super Bowl pre-game show this coming Sunday to see Savannah Guthrie interview President Barack Obama?

  • Ann Curry Leaving NBC News and Starting Production Company

    Ann Curry is reportedly leaving NBC News to start her own production company. Variety claims an official announcement will be released later today.

    Curry was the news anchor on Today from 1997 until 2011, when she was named co-anchor alongside Matt Lauer following Meredith Vieira’s decision to leave the show. Curry and Lauer never quite seemed to meld, and Ann had a hard time transitioning from hard news to lighter stories–as happens on the morning news shows.

    NBC handled the firing of Ann Curry from her Today post in a most inappropriate manner. Many believed Matt Lauer was behind her firing, but that was never backed up. Nonetheless the show lost lots of viewers when Ann left, and they have never regained their number one morning news show spot. That was quickly usurped by Good Morning America. They have held the title since then.

    Variety says Ann Curry will soon start her own production company, and they site a person ‘familiar with the situation’ as their source.

    Since Curry was fired from Today, she served as a special news correspondent from time to time and occasionally appeared on Dateline NBC.

    An NBC insider told Fox News, “Ann has been unhappy for a long time because she’s basically doing nothing, while NBC is unhappy that she has been paid a lot of money to do nothing.”

    Hopefully once out on her own, Ann Curry can utilize her many talents to their fullest extent.

    Does word of Ann Curry leaving NBC News come as a surprise to you?

    It will be interesting to learn how NBC responds.

  • Emma Watson, a UN Goodwill Ambassador, Named Top Feminist Celebrity of the Year

    Emma Watson, a UN Goodwill Ambassador, Named Top Feminist Celebrity of the Year

    Emma Watson was named the top feminist celebrity of the year by the Ms. Foundation and Cosmopolitan.com. She was chosen by the public in an online survey.

    As a UN Goodwill Ambassador, Watson helped found the HeForShe Campaign this year, for which she gave a rousing speech urging men to take up the feminist cause, telling them, “gender equality is your issue, too.”

    The recently single Watson, a Brown University graduate with a degree in English Literature, explained her reasons for advocating for the feminist movement during the speech.

    “I started questioning gender-based assumptions when at eight I was confused at being called ‘bossy,’ because I wanted to direct the plays… When at 14 I started being sexualized by certain elements of the press. When at 15 my girlfriends started dropping out of their sports teams because they didn’t want to appear ‘muscly.’ When at 18 my male friends were unable to express their feelings.”

    Watson went on to say gender equality is not just a fight for women.

    “..in the UK suicide is the biggest killer of men between 20-49 years of age; eclipsing road accidents, cancer and coronary heart disease. I’ve seen men made fragile and insecure by a distorted sense of what constitutes male success. Men don’t have the benefits of equality either. We don’t often talk about men being imprisoned by gender stereotypes but I can see that that they are and that when they are free, things will change for women as a natural consequence.”

    The complete list includes Emma Watson, Laverne Cox, Rachel Maddow, Beyoncé, Cher, Amy Poehler, Tina Fey, Meryl Streep, Mindy Kaling and Ann Curry.

    “We celebrate all feminists every day, but today we’re giving a hat tip to celebrities who are helping to promote women’s equality,” Ms. Foundation President Teresa Younger said in a statement. “Every celebrity on the list has either embraced the term ‘feminist,’ spoken out for women’s equal rights or battled against sexist oppression.”

  • Natalie Morales: Is She Leaving the Today Show?

    Is Natalie Morales leaving the Today Show? The New York Post says she’s presently looking for another position in the TV news world, and that once she does, she will likely leave Today. It’s the reason behind her wanting to depart that is as big a story, however.

    Sources tell the New York Post that there is quite a power struggle going on at Today between Tamron Hall, Natalie Morales, and the president of NBC News, Deborah Turness. Don’t forget that Natalie Morales has been at Today since 2006 in her role as national correspondent. She has been passed over several times for one of the top anchor spots–the most recent being when Savannah Guthrie was named as the replacement for Ann Curry. It seems Turness hasn’t spoken to Morales in months and is now looking to promote Tamron Hall into a bigger Today Show role.

    “There’s a lot of tension. Natalie and Tamron are competitive, and there was a big blowup in October between the two. Deborah has an issue with Natalie and has sided with Tamron. There has been zero communication between Deborah and Natalie for a long period of time. It’s the talk of NBC staff,” the source explains.

    Today Show executive producer Don Nash says none of this is true, however.

    “This is total nonsense. As the Today Show continues to gain momentum, it sounds like someone is trying to stir up trouble that doesn’t exist,” he says. “Natalie Morales is valued by everyone at the news division from the top down, and her future is with the Today Show and NBC News.”

    It seems there is always some angst at the Today Show. For months after Ann Curry’s departure, Matt Lauer was known as the ‘bad guy.’ Since that issue has simmered down, this new one has cropped up.

    Do you think there is really an issue between Natalie Morales and Tamron Hall? And if so, is it bad enough for Natalie to leave the show? Or do you think this is just the latest saga in the Today Show soap opera instead?

  • Matt Lauer Certainly Has a Sweet Ride to Work Every Day — A Helicopter

    Today show cohost Matt Lauer certainly has a sweet ride to work from his residence in the Hamptons to the NBC studios in New York City.

    The network is reportedly so determined to keep Lauer at the Today show that NBC is footing the bill for Lauer to take a helicopter to and from work so he can spend more time with his family.

    In June, Lauer extended his $20 million contract with NBC News through 2016. The new contract came amid speculation that the longtime morning show host would leave the show over the infamous — and ugly — departure of Ann Curry in 2012, according to Page Six.

    As part of the new contract, NBC reportedly agreed to pay for Lauer to take a helicopter to work in Manhattan from his home in the Hamptons. Lauer also has an apartment in Manhattan, but prefers to spend more time with his family.

    “NBC News chiefs want to do everything to keep Matt happy,” a source told Page Six. “They believe ‘Today’ has turned a corner and he is the key to its continuing success. They agreed to pay for his helicopter flights to the Hamptons and back, so he can spend more time with his family.”

    A Today show rep says the report is a little exaggerated.

    “On rare occasions, Matt will fly home, but most of the time you’ll find him stuck in traffic on the Long Island Expressway with everyone else,” the rep reportedly told Page Six.

  • Matt Lauer Signs New ‘TODAY’ Show Contract, Shares Heart

    Matt Lauer has reportedly signed a continuing contract with The TODAY Show. The morning news show has taken second place to Good Morning America for two years since the network’s demotion of Ann Curry from her spot as Lauer’s co-anchor. Although no terms of Lauer’s new contract have been released, his previous one made him one of the highest paid people in the broadcast industry, bringing in an average of $25 million per year.

    “I consider this the best job in broadcasting,” Matt Lauer said in a statement. “I love people I work with every day, and I have such respect and gratitude for the people I work for. I couldn’t be happier to be staying.”

    Lauer has been with NBC for twenty years and is considered by some–especially those within the NBC family–to be among the very best.

    NBC News President Deborah Turness said Lauer is “the best in the business.”

    On a more personal note, Matt Lauer recently made news for the very powerful letter he wrote to his daughter Romy as part of a TIME magazine and women’s empowerment project that a few of the NBC dads took part in.

    “How did we get from those hysterical ballet lessons at the age of four, to the princess phase, when everything in your world had to be pink? How did we get from the little girl who loved animals to your fearlessness on horseback, despite the occasional trip to the emergency room? And how did you come to decide that you wanted to be one of just a few young ladies in our town to play Little League baseball? Did you have any idea how my heart was bursting with pride?” he wrote to his little girl.

    The letter shares a side of Matt Lauer that some have always believed lurked just beneath of the surface of the astute journalist’s on air facade. Others likely didn’t think he had it in him.

    Something Matt Lauer doesn’t have in him is an ability to maintain a social media image. His Instagram account holds only ten pictures. Here’s one from last fall.

    Even his Twitter posts shine light on his career but not on his personal life.

    Regardless of his lack on social media personality, congratulations are definitely in order to Matt Lauer for continuing on at NBC but congratulations even more for having the wisdom and the strength to share raw emotions with his daughter. That’s a gift not all children get to receive.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Ann Curry In Hiking Accident, Talks Boy Scout Rescue

    Ann Curry suffered a scary injury last month while hiking through Harriman State Park in New York, but luckily for her, there was a troop of Boy Scouts nearby who knew exactly what to do.

    “We work on these requirements, and here’s an opportunity where it was a true test of all those first class, second class first-aid requirements. They got to use it and use it for real. And they did an outstanding job,” Scouter Rick Jurgens said.

    Jergens says that at first the group didn’t know if something was wrong, but stopped to talk to Curry anyway just to make sure. The tough lady told them she thought something might be seriously wrong.

    “We were hiking along, and we came to a trail intersection,” Jurgens said, “and a lady was sitting on the ground with her one leg out. We didn’t think anything of it, but one of the guys asked if everything is OK. She said, ‘No, not really. I think I broke my ankle.’ She told us to keep going, but the guys refused.”

    “Discovering I was unable to walk, and needed to get down the mountain for medical care, you immediately set about to help,” Curry later wrote in letters to each boy.

    Curry took to Twitter to share her accident story and to thank her rescuers, who didn’t realize who they had helped until they received their thank-you letters.

    Curry made headlines earlier this year when it was reported that she felt her time at the Today show was a form of “professional torture” due to the way she was treated by her coworkers, especially the males.

    “Many executives at the network never grasped how profoundly hurt and humiliated Curry remained — not just by her televised dismissal but by all the backstage machinations that led to that fateful morning. Curry felt that the boys’ club atmosphere behind the scenes at “Today” undermined her from the start, and she told friends that her final months were a form of professional torture,” wrote Brian Stetler for the New York Times.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Ann Curry Rescued By Boy Scouts After Injury

    Last month, television news anchor Ann Curry was hiking in New Jersey when she fell and broke her ankle. Luckily, a group of Boy Scouts, New Jersey’s Troop 368, were right around the corner and came to her rescue.

    “We were hiking along, and we came to a trail intersection and a lady was sitting on the ground with her one leg out. We didn’t think anything of it, but one of the guys asked if everything is okay. She said, ‘No, not really. I think I broke my ankle.’ She told us to keep going, but the guys refused,” Rick Jurgens, a professional firefighter and EMT who oversaw the boys work, toldScouting magazine on Friday.

    Jurgens said the group worked, and were able to splint her leg, like professionals. “They splinted it up perfectly, just like in the pictures,” he said. The boys then proceeded to gather materials to create a makeshift stretcher and were able to carry Curry to safety.

    Jurgens explained that the incident was the perfect opportunity for the boys to get hands on experience of what they had learned. “We work on these requirements, and here’s an opportunity where it was a true test of all those first class, second class first-aid requirements,” Jergens said. “They got to use it and use it for real. And they did an outstanding job.”

    Curry later wrote a letter to the troop thanking them for their bravery and efforts in rescuing her.

    Your skill and professionalism were a great comfort to me. I was in great pain but you were very careful in carrying me over the sharp rocks and into the car that took me to the hospital.

    I feel enormously lucky you came along at just the right moment, and were so willing to help a stranger in need. You are a credit to the Boy Scouts and to your families, and I want you to know I am deeply grateful for your kindness and skill.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Ann Curry Rescued by Boy Scouts After Hiking Injury

    Ann Curry, former co-anchor of The TODAY Show and news reporter for NBC was injured while hiking a few weeks ago and was rescued by a troop of Boy Scouts. Curry was out on a hike in New York’s Harriman State Park in April when she fell and broke her ankle.

    Scouts from Troop and Crew 368 from Berkeley Heights, New Jersey just happened to be out on a training hike in the state park when they came upon Curry with her leg extended, sitting on the side of a trail. She told them she feared the ankle was broken.

    “They splinted it up perfectly,” said Scoutmaster Rick Jurgens said in a blog post for Scouting Magazine. In order to transport Curry down to the base of the park the Scouts used sticks and a tarp for a makeshift stretcher and carried her to her car where her husband and son were waiting.

    “We were hiking along, and we came to a trail intersection,” Jurgens said, “and a lady was sitting on the ground with her one leg out. We didn’t think anything of it, but one of the guys asked if everything is OK. She said, ‘No, not really. I think I broke my ankle.’ She told us to keep going, but the guys refused.”

    Jurgens, who is also a professional firefighter and EMT, said the boys needed no prompting whatsoever from him. They sprang into action and did everything they had previously been trained to do if ever encountering a situation like this one.

    “We work on these requirements, and here’s an opportunity where it was a true test of all those First Class, Second Class first-aid requirements,” he said. “They got to use it and use it for real. And they did an outstanding job.”

    Ann Curry sent the Boy Scouts from Troop and Crew 368 each a personal thank you letter following the ordeal. She praised their emergency readiness, saying they went “above the call of duty.”

    “Discovering I was unable to walk, and needed to get down the mountain for medical care, you immediately set about to help,” she wrote.

    “I feel enormously lucky you came along at just the right moment, and were so willing to help a stranger in need,” she added. “You are a credit to the Boy Scouts and to your families, and I want you to know I am deeply grateful for your kindness and skill.”

    Ann Curry’s husband also praised the Boy Scouts. He and their son had gone back down the trail to retrieve their vehicle in order to transport her to the hospital.

    “He told us, ‘You guys are the best,’” Jurgens said. “‘I don’t know what I would do without you guys.’”

    Kudos to the Boy Scouts and their leader for their readiness on the trail when Ann Curry broke her ankle. Not only did they gain the experience of assisting during a real life medical situation, but they also earned the appreciation and respect of one of the finest journalists around.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Lara Spencer to Stay at ‘Good Morning America’

    Lara Spencer has finalized plans to stay at Good Morning America on a long-term basis.

    “You know you’re in the right job when getting up at 4 a.m. is a joy,” said Spencer in a statement provided to The Hollywood Reporter. “This was a simple decision; I love what I do, and I adore the people I work with. I am thrilled to be on this team and look forward to many more years.”

    ABC Senior Vice President Jeffrey Schneider is thrilled.

    “We couldn’t be happier,” he said. “Lara is a uniquely gifted anchor at the top of her game. She brings so much energy, fun and smarts to every single broadcast. She is beloved by our viewers with good reason.”

    Spencer has been the show’s lifestyle anchor since back in 2011, and has represented Good Morning America at several big events like the Academy Awards. She also hosts a show on HGTV where she hunts for and restores treasures found at flea markets all around the country. Her two worlds often collide.

    “Lara is a talented producer who has created terrific original content,” Schneider added. “And we expect that she will continue to flex those muscles in the coming years.”

    No word has leaked yet on what Lara Spencer’s new GMA contract might be worth. Good Morning America has been ranked as the top morning news show for about two years now–ever since Ann Curry was fired as cohost of The TODAY Show.

    Lara’s new contract meant what is no doubt an even better one for Robin Roberts as well. Negotiations are presently underway with Josh Elliott, who has been offered a spot with NBC Sports. He has left than a month left on his ABC contract and the network would reportedly like to keep their present team together.

    What’s your take on Lara Spencer becoming a permanent GMA figure?

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Ann Curry Interviews President of Iran

    Ann Curry Interviews President of Iran

    Yesterday, Ann Curry, former reporter for the Today Show, sat down with new Iranian president Hassan Rouhani for his first interview with the American press since his election. The interview aired on NBC Nightly News last night, and other portions aired on the TODAY show this morning.

    Curry had several bold questions to ask President Rouhani, especially since tensions between Iran and the US have only increased in recent years. Perhaps the most important question of the night had to deal with Iran’s nuclear weapons program. Since the events of 9/11, the United States has increased the pressure on Iran to divulge all information pertaining to its nuclear program. In an interview with Ann Curry in 2011, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad repeatedly stated that Iran was only using its nuclear program for energy and that it had more than cooperated with the International Atomic Energy Organization (IAEO). Ahmadinejad also proclaimed that Iran saw no use in nuclear weapons; Ahmadinejad stated that nuclear weapons had only brought harm to the countries that had them, and that Iran was a a country seeking peace, not war.

    Yesterday, newly elected president Hassan Rouhani had the same message for the American people. When asked “Can you say that Iran will not build a nuclear weapon under any circumstances whatsoever?”, Rouhani responded: “The answer to this question is quite obvious. We have time and against said that under no circumstances would we seek any weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear weapons, nor will we ever… We solely are looking for peaceful nuclear technology.”

    Why American journalists ask the same questions over and over and expect different responses is still befuddling (they easily fit the definition of insanity as posited by Einstein). Curry did, however, ask a couple of more pertinent questions (They were not necessarily better questions, however.) When asked “Can you assure the world that President Assad will give up all of his chemical weapons?”, Rouhani stated that “We are not the government of Syria. We are one of the countries of this region which is asking peace and stability and the elimination of all weapons of mass destruction in the entire region.” – once again reiterating the idea that Iran is against nuclear weapons and for peace.

    Curry followed up this question about Syria with one concerning Obama’s actions surrounding the Syrian situation: “Do you believe the United States, President Obama looked weak in backing off an air strike on Syria?” To which Rouhani responded: “We consider war a weakness. Any government or administration who decides in order to wage a war, we consider a weakness. And any government that decides on peace we look on it with respect to peace.”

    Perhaps that is why Rouhani plans to visit the United Nations in New York next week. Thus far, Rouhani has not ruled out a meeting with President Obama. There is much speculation surrounding why Rouhani has chosen to visit the UN. Most guesses point to the fact that Iran is still under severe economic sanctions due to their suspected nuclear weapons program and development. Since sanctions were handed down in 2011, Iran’s oil production has dropped from 2.4 million barrels per day to less than 1 million today. During this time, the people of Iran have also pushed for more rights and freedoms.

    With still heightening tensions in the Middle East and the ever-present danger of getting involved in another foreign conflict, this would seem to be the prime-time for Obama and the UN to reach an agreement with Iran and how it should handle its nuclear energy program. Iran has seemingly cooperated with all the sanctions and directions from the IAEO, so it is hard to imagine what else the US could want. However, now would be the time to put this issue to a rest and potentially strengthen US relations with Iran in the Middle East.

    Image via Facebook

  • Ann Curry: Matt Lauer Blames “Lazy” Media For Departure Scandal

    Ann Curry left the “Today” show amidst a flurry of rumor and speculation, with many saying that her abrupt departure was due to a lack of chemistry between her and co-anchor Matt Lauer; Lauer got some of the blame for allegedly backing the decision to let her go, as well.

    But in a new profile he wrote for Esquire, Lauer says he thinks the media dropped the ball when it came to reporting the facts.

    “The way the media treated what happened with Ann Curry was a disappointing learning experience,” he wrote. “I was disappointed by the laziness of the media, the willingness to read a rumor, repeat that rumor, and treat it as a fact. And yet, what were my options? Does anyone want to see a person who’s making the money that the newspapers say I’m making complaining, “Woe is me, my life is terrible, and people are being unfair”? No one would’ve had any patience for that. I wouldn’t have any patience for that. So you just shut up and go about doing your job and hope that people who know you well — your friends and your family — know what’s true.”

    After Curry’s departure was leaked early, she addressed the rumors, saying that the ratings wars had become “mean”.

    “I don’t know who has been behind the leaks, but no question they’ve hurt deeply,” Curry said. “You know, Matt and I have had great on-air chemistry for 14 years, been part of the No. 1 winning team for a history-making number of years. That said, I just finished my freshman year as co-host. In every single co-host’s first year, there have been kinks to be worked out, and perhaps I deserve as much blame for that as anyone. I know I am not to blame for the ratings worries. And my bosses have said to me there are many factors involved. There is no doubt that the rating wars have become meaner and less focused on our responsibilities as journalists.”

    Image: Wikimedia Commons

  • Ann Curry ‘Tortured’ By Today Execs in Final Months

    Ann Curry’s relationship with the Today show has been speculated about for nearly a year now. Her tearful goodbye in June 2012 left viewers sour, and led to the Today show falling behind Good Morning America in the morning show ratings war.

    Though fans have been blaming Matt Lauer for ousting Curry from her anchor chair on Today, a new story has begun emerging, showing that Lauer was just one among many at the show that wanted, or were at least indifferent to, Curry’s ousting.

    The New York Times this week published an article about Curry’s departure that was adapted from an upcoming book titled Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV. The article relates that Curry feels the “boys’ club atmosphere” at Today had made her final months on the show “a form of professional torture.”

    The article describes Lauer as “indifferent” to Curry, and states that there was “a general meanness on set.” As an example, Today show executive producer Jim Bell is said to have asked for a blooper reel of Curry’s on-air gaffes, though he denies the accusation. In another example, staff made fun of a yellow dress Curry wore one morning, comparing her to the Sesame Street character Big Bird.

  • NBC: Robin Roberts Tweet From Ann Curry Prevented

    The drama surrounding the Today Show and Ann Curry‘s unceremonious departure from the daytime TV show simply will not die down.

    Earlier this week, New York Magazine published a long expose of the situation at the Today Show leading up to Curry’s firing and the aftermath. While Matt Lauer was courting ABC as a contract negotiation technique, Curry was fighting for her anchor position.

    After Curry’s tearful goodbye, the Today Show tanked in the ratings. The show was overtaken by Good Morning America, which was enthralling viewers with coverage of anchor Robin Robert’s battle with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).

    It seems that NBC executives worried about the impact Curry could have on daytime TV ratings even weeks after she left the show. The New York magazine report states that when Roberts left Good Morning America, Curry wanted to tweet her a “note of sympathy.” The idea was shot down by NBC.

    It’s unfortunate that Curry felt she needed to clear a heartfelt tweet with the public relations department at NBC. However, the incident is a rare look inside the carefully controlled battleground that TV networks call morning news programs.

  • Chelsea Handler Told To Lay Off Matt Lauer

    Chelsea Handler is known for her acerbic wit and for not caring much about who she might offend with her jokes, so when she’s warned to watch what she says about someone, it’s entirely possible it will just make her want to talk about them more.

    Though she’s had no comment on the rumor yet, word is spreading that she and her writers were warned by Comcast execs to back off of the Matt Lauer/Ann Curry jokes because they don’t want extra attention being drawn to the situation. Comcast owns both NBC and E!.

    Although E! has denied that such a demand came down from the bosses, a source says it is indeed true and centers around the controversial way Curry left “Today”, when rumors swirled that it was because Matt Lauer wanted her gone.

    “Chelsea’s writers were warned to lay off Matt,” the source told the NY Post, “They don’t want them making more fun of Matt and the Ann Curry situation right now.”

    The order allegedly came after Handler made a joke based on Al Roker’s recent admission that he once soiled himself while visiting the White House.

    “This isn’t the first time a TODAY show cast member was in the news about this sensitive subject,” Handler said. “For years, it was common knowledge that Matt Lauer spent every morning s***ting all over Ann Curry.”

    Curry reportedly has been begging producers at NBC to let her out of her contract–which states she can’t appear on another news outlet for two years (after her termination). Word is, she’s been offered a high-profile gig at CNN.

  • Ann Curry “Begs” NBC To Release Her From Contract

    Rumors are flying that Ann Curry is asking her employers at NBC to release her from her contract in order to be eligible for a job with CNN, amid allegations that NBC breached the contract anyway.

    Curry, who was famously let go from her “Today” position opposite Matt Lauer earlier this year, has been offered a high-profile gig with CNN now that her old boss Jeff Zucker is set to take over at the network, and she wants it. The problem is, she’s locked into a non-compete contract with NBC which states she can’t take another job with a news outlet for two years.

    “She has formally asked her attorney to explore exit options from the network. However, NBC bosses have indicated they are unwilling to release Ann from the contract,” a “source” told RadarOnline.

    Curry feels, however, that NBC breached her contract when they demoted her, and reportedly has her lawyers checking all available options to her.

    With Zucker at the helm, CNN could be receiving a programming overhaul soon; the network has suffered serious ratings drops despite the popularity of Anderson Cooper and Piers Morgan.

  • Matt Lauer Screamed At, Blamed For Ann Curry’s Departure

    Matt Lauer is getting screamed at, but not the good kind he receives as a co-anchor on Today. He’s reportedly the target of verbal abuse from those who believe he’s responsible for the departure of Ann Curry from the morning program.

    TMZ reports that Lauer is “freaked out” that people are screaming at him across the street on Manhattan. The Today co-anchor is reportedly “miserable” over the “hateful and unfair tirades” that are now being directed at him. Some of things people are saying include “You’re a bad guy” and “You got Ann fired.”

    It’s not known exactly what caused Curry to be let go from the show, but there are numerous theories as to why the network finally decided to pull the plug on her career. One theory suggests that ratings took a drastic hit as soon as she started hosting, but another rumor suggests that Lauer demanded that Curry be replaced in his recent negotiations to resign onto the show.

    Either way, Curry is no longer with Today, and has been replaced by Savannah Guthrie. She was the co-anchor for Today’s third hour but is now with Lauer during the show’s opening hour. As for Curry herself, she believes she was let go because she was getting a little on in years, and the company wanted somebody younger in the role.

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  • Ann Curry: Gray Hair Might Have Cost Her “Today” Job

    Ann Curry was a beloved figure on the “Today” show for years, and when she was let go back in June, the news shocked America. NBC News president Steve Capus explained that the time had come when Curry’s heart just wasn’t in it, and that was the reason for her sudden departure; although, according to him, it was anything but sudden.

    “I think it was not where her real passion was,” he said. “In her heart of hearts, I think she would admit that. I think her real passion is built around reporting on international stories. It’s tough to convey a sincere interest in something if you don’t possess it. We live in a HD world. Dan Rather used to say the camera never blinks. Well, this is an HD world now, and the camera picks up everything. And you could tell with her, you can tell with any anchor, whether they’re into it or not. And I think we’ve now come up with a role that will play to her strengths…We gave her a year to prove herself, and ultimately we came to the conclusion that she had played at the highest level she could… When you’re in the major leagues of our profession, you’ve got to continue to be at peak performance in order to stay there.”

    But according to Ann, who did an interview with Ladies’ Home Journal for their August edition, the real reason may have been simply that she’s getting older.

    The 55-year old news anchor said she liked to wear brightly-colored clothes on air, which often rankled the men upstairs for some reason.

    “One day I wore a multicolored dress and someone asked if I was trying to be Toucan Sam. But I chose it because I thought, ‘This will perk up America’. I’m encouraged by my bosses to wear these ridiculously high-heeled shoes because women say, ‘I love your shoes!’ So if it makes women happy, I’ll wear them. But I’m still going to be me… I’ve tried to wear clogs and flats on TV and it hasn’t gone well with my bosses.”

    She also refuses to dye her hair, because, as she says, aging ties her to her family. It hasn’t gone over well with her employers, Curry says, but it’s not something she’s ready to change.

    “I’ve decided not to buy into the idea that I want to stop aging,” she said. “My wrinkles connect me to my family, to my ancestors and to my future. This is how my father looked when he was my age. I’ve got cellulite because it runs in my family. I’ve got gray hair because I won’t dye it. … But I don’t want to change the fundamental parts of me because it means changing who I am.”

    When Curry tried wearing more age-appropriate shoes, such as flats and clogs, producers encouraged her to switch them out for heels, mostly because women of a certain age group–who made up a huge part of the show’s audience–would tune in just to see what she was wearing.

    As for her appearance, Curry says she’s not sure how much longer it will be tolerated; she’s still employed by NBC.

    Image credit: Mediaite

  • Savannah Guthrie Makes Her Co-Hosting Debut on TODAY

    Savannah Guthrie was selected to fill the hole left by former TODAY co-host Ann Curry, who watched helplessly as NBC scrambled to replace her following record low ratings. This week, Guthrie made her debut as co-host on the popular morning program, alongside Matt Lauer and Al Roker. As a fan of Ann Curry, Guthrie’s shift to the co-hosting gig isn’t particularly thrilling, as I still hold the belief that the seasoned journalist got the shaft by her superiors. Still, at least the network went with someone who’s already established herself with viewers. That should make the transition a bit easier for devoted TODAY fanatics.

    “This was a little unexpected, as we all know, but I just want to say that I’m so proud and honored to be in a place occupied by so many women I admire,” Guthrie explained. She added that it was nice to have a job that “you can describe as fun and actually mean it.”

    Although media speculation about Curry’s departure was rampant, the network itself has said very little about her replacement. However, NBC New President Steve Capus explained to the Hollywood Reporter that Curry didn’t have the enthusiasm for the “fluff” pieces that the network required her to tackle. Curry’s expertise is in serious journalism, so feigning excitement over cooking segments and celebrity pieces wasn’t exactly her forte.

    This week may be Guthrie’s “official” first week as co-host, but it’s certainly not her first rodeo. One day before Curry bid farewell to viewers, Savannah took the spot next to Matt Lauer, resulting in Good Morning America’s complete annihilation of TODAY in the ratings. According to Nielsen, GMA stomped a hole in its competitor to the tune of 670,000 viewers.

    NBC is hoping that Guthrie’s warm personality and jovial manner can help bring viewers back into the fold. Sadly, a lot of folks are none too pleased with the way the network has handled Curry’s departure, which may ultimately cost them in the long run. Personally, it’s kind of hard to view TODAY in the same light knowing that they’ll boot their hosts at the drop of a hat if they fail to meet expectations.

  • Savannah Guthrie Replaces Ann Curry on “Today”

    Savannah Guthrie, who has been co-host for the “Today” show’s third hour, is movin’ on up to take Ann Curry’s spot opposite Matt Lauer.

    The show has seen a dramatic decline in ratings since Curry took over the job; NBC is looking to shake things up a bit by changing up who Americans wake up to, and they feel Guthrie fits the bill nicely.

    “She’s got an undeniable range, and she’s earned the trust of the news community, her colleagues and our viewers alike. I couldn’t be happier for Savannah and the entire ‘Today’ team,” NBC News President Steve Capus said.

    Guthrie has been the chief legal correspondent for NBC News for the last three years, tackling White House news for them as well. She’ll still hold that title as well as perform her new “Today” duties.

    While some are blaming Curry for the show’s decline–“Good Morning America” beat out “Today” in ratings this spring for the first time in 16 years–many attribute much of the show’s success to her, as she’s been a news anchor for over 15 years.

    Twitter users aren’t happy about the change; one even called Savannah a “perky Katie wannabe”. Ouch.