Browsing articles tagged with " Today Show Ratings Decline"
Matt Lauer Admits Ann Curry’s Firing Was Not Handled Well, Talks Today’s Show’s Low Ratings
In an interview with the Daily Beast, Matt Lauer finally opened up about The Today Show’s drastic decline in ratings and the scandalous ousting of former co-host Ann Curry.
“It was a hard time for everybody,” Matt said about the negativity the show received. “We were getting kicked around a lot. Some of it was self-inflicted and perhaps deserved.”
“I don’t think the show and the network handled the transition well. You don’t have to be Einstein to know that,” he continued. “It clearly did not help us. We were seen as a family, and we didn’t handle a family matter well.”
Indeed, the show has suffered immensely in the ratings department since Ann Curry was let go and replaced by Savannah Guthrie. Since then, Matt himself has been the target of criticism over his alleged role in Ann’s departure, and the show’s dwindling popularity.
Though Matt has faced much of the backlash, NBC News’ former president Steve Capus is standing up for Matt, saying that the 55-year-old host is paying the price for a decision he was never behind; ‘When Matt was informed that we had made this decision [to fire Ann], his good counsel was to go slow, to take care of Ann, and to do the right things,” Capus explains. “He was quietly and publicly a supporter of Ann’s throughout the entire process. It is unfair that Matt has shouldered an undue amount of blame for a decision he disagreed with.”
For his part, Matt, is taking this experience as an opportunity to grow; “In some ways being No. 2 in the ratings is a real shot in the arm, a kick in the pants. It makes you hungrier … I don’t think it’s a bad thing to have a fire lit under your ass.”
And, while Matt and The Today Show have seen better days, Matt says he and his huge paycheck are going to stay positive; “I’m not going to whine or get depressed. Who’s going to feel sorry for me? Nobody.”
Ann Curry Begs NBC To Let Her Out Of Her Contract!
Radaronline.com is reporting that Ann Curry wants out of her NBC contract ASAP.
“Ann wants out of her contract, big time. 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. If Ann was to just quit, there is a non-compete clause, which would prohibit her from working for another news outlet for two years,” a source told Radar.
Ann wants to leave NBC to go over to CNN, where her old boss Jeff Zucker will be taking over in February. Ann believes she has every right to be let out of her current contract to do so; “Ann’s lawyer feels that there is a very strong case to be made that NBC has breached terms of the deal because Curry was demoted from TODAY. Furthermore, Ann has basically been sequestered from appearing on the network. Yes, she has been doing some work that has been assigned to her, but it hasn’t been steady,” the source explained.
If Ann gets her way she may be taking over Anderson Cooper’s current 8pm time slot. This would be a strategic move on Jeff’s behalf, since Today’s ratings have continued to drop since Ann left the show, and her presence on CNN may help to get the struggling news channel ratings back up.
“Ann doesn’t like the fact that the show [Today] isn’t back on top, but her on-air presence wasn’t the problem. In fact, the show lost more viewers after Ann departed the show. As long as Ann remains at NBC, it will be a constant reminder to everyone of how badly the situation was handled. It would be so much better for NBC, Ann, and CNN if she was let out of her contract. It would be a new beginning and a chance for all parties involved to move on, once and for all.”
Hopefully, for Ann’s sake, NBC will stop jerking her around and let her move on with her career once and for all.
[Photo Credit: PR Photos]
TELL US- DO YOU THINK NBC WILL ACTUALLY LET ANN OUT OF HER CONTRACT?
Today Show’s Ratings Plummet to an All New Low! Does Matt Lauer Need to Be Fired?
Matt Lauer’s days may be numbered on Today as the show hits an all-time low in the ratings falling below Good Morning America by the biggest margin in more than 10 years.
According to Brian Stelter of the New York Times, the November ratings for both shows are out and not surprisingly, GMA won the sweeps month!
GMA averaged 5.31 million viewers in November, 466,000 more than NBC’s “Today” show. The race was however closer among the 25- to 54-year-olds demographic (the demo the advertisers covet) as GMA only had 28,000 more viewers than “Today” in that category.
TODAY even experienced a new low on Wednesday, Nov. 28, when GMA won by 1.3 million viewers! Wowzers. It is however believed that large margin was due to tie-ins with the “Dancing With the Stars” series which finished its season the night before.
The somewhat good news for the TODAY show is that they had a slight margin of victory over GMA two weeks ago in the 25- to 54-year-old group. TODAY won that week by 29,000 viewers. However it was an unusual week due to the Thanksgiving holiday.
Let’s look at the facts. Today started going down after the controversial move of letting Ann Curry go; Executive producer, Jim Bell, left the show earlier this month; and Matt is rumored to be falling out of favour with some of the viewing audience – between his trying to run the show and on air blunders (mispronouncing a Gershwin song).
TELL US – IS MATT THE REASON TODAY IS GOING DOWN HILL?
Is Matt Lauer’s ‘Damaged Brand’ Dragging Down The Today Show?
The Today’s Show iconic, Matt Lauer, may be single-handedly killing the show’s ratings! If you’re a fan then you know that Ann Curry has been recently replaced with Savannah Guthrie as co-anchor. Why? Because apparently, Matt didn’t like Ann and used her as an easy target to blame on their failure to get ratings.
However since Ann’s June firing, the ratings have yet to improve and now Matt is being blamed for the show’s woes. A former NBC News exec tells the NY Daily News: “This problem is not going to go away until Matt Lauer does. He’s great, but fairly or unfairly, his brand is damaged.”
Sources however believe soon to be new leader of the new production team, Alexandra Wallace, 46, is basically walking into a no win scenario, no matter who she hires and fires, unless it’s Lauer himself. Matt has become focused on his own hide and more often than not is combative with guests who may or may not return as a matter of principle (Tom Cruise).
All this as the ABC and CBS morning shows sit back and collect viewer after viewer from the stunted Today Show. Good call, NBC!
[ Photo Credit: Paul Froggatt / PR Photos]
TELL US – SHOULD MATT BE FIRED OR HAS TODAY JUST RUN ITS COURSE?
Matt Lauer May Have to Take a Pay Cut as Today Show Ratings Decline
Matt Lauer’s 25 million dollar salary may take a turn if ratings don’t pick up over at the Today show. How will he manage?
“Comcast, which now owns NBC Universal, is going through the budgets of each show and right now, they are focusing on the news division. Matt’s salary is the biggest part of the TODAY show’s budget and with Good Morning America now routinely beating them, it’s just hard to justify that salary,” a source tells Radar Online.
Apparently, Lauer’s “likability” plummeted 25 percent in just 12 months. This could be due to the change in co-hosts – Meredith Vieira left Lauer’s side on the morning show’s anchor desk, to be replaced by Ann Curry and then by Savannah Guthrie.
I guess folks aren’t just that into you anymore, Matt. Perhaps you need to get some sexy-back?
“It raises a flag,” Henry Schafer, Executive Vice President of Q Scores, told The News. “These morning shows are driven by personalities — so there’s a real challenge out there for NBC News.” Not to mention, all the turmoil and turbulence of the world today.
But don’t fret, “Matt is under contract so it will have to be a voluntary decision, but the argument will be made that if he doesn’t agree to lose some of his salary than people’s jobs will have to be cut. Bottom line is money will have to be saved somewhere and he will be asked to do the ‘right thing’ by his staff.”
[Photo Credit: Jakes Van Der Watt / PR Photos]
TELL US – SHOULD MATT TAKE A PAY CUT?
As Today’s Ratings Fall, Matt Lauer Turns Into An “Anchor Animal”.
Matt Lauer is an “anchor animal” according to sources inside NBC’s morning show Today.
Anchor animal? Who coined that one?
According to the sources, ever since Today dropped in ratings below rival ABC’s Good Morning America, after being on top for the last 16 years, Lauer, ”has gone so crazy … that staff on Today are not even allowed to mention GMA to him.”
Ratings continued to drop even more after Ann Curry was let go from the show.
Insiders of the show say that he is micromanaging the program, treating employees badly by belittling them and forbidding the usage of the phrase, “Good Morning America”. One source told the NY Post that Lauer is, “making all editorial decisions, he’s running the show and he’s not listening to anyone … it’s a huge problem.”
Geeze Matt, they make pills for your type of crazy.
Another source said that Lauer has made the workplace awful for staff, constantly telling them to, ” to work harder”. Which one source said they find ironic coming “from a guy working four days a week, making millions.”
When asked to comment about these allegations Lauer said this to the Post- “Please print this … it’s the most interesting and dangerous I’ve ever sounded!”
I don’t know if I’d call it interesting and dangerous so much as I’d call it power mad and annoying.
Tell us- Do believe these allegations against Matt Lauer?
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