Shakeup at 'Today': Ann Curry out?
NBC is reportedly negotiating to dump the co-anchor
Shakeup at ‘Today’: Ann Curry out?
David Hiltbrand, Inquirer TV Critic
There may be no room on the couch for Curry
So much for smooth transitions. With little fanfare, NBC appointed Ann Curry, Today’s longtime newsreader to replace Meredith Vieira when Vieira stepped down as Matt Lauer’s co-anchor exactly a year ago.
Then reality set in. Curry was stiff and unnatural in the role, had no chemistry with Matt and showed little flair for either the human interest or hard news segments.
All that might have been overlooked. But the viewers started to turn away, and that NBC would not stand for.
The New York Times reported yesterday that the network has been working for weeks on a plan to replace Curry on the morning show and find a more suitable job for her in the news division. There is some urgency to this negotiation because NBC wants to have the Today situation resolved and the show running smoothly by the time Olympic coverage begins next month from London.
Curry is apparently not going gently. She has retained Washington attorney Robert Barnett to represent her in talks with NBC. Neither Curry nor Barnett nor any network executives have commented thusfar.
Early conjecture has Savannah Guthrie, who currently co-hosts the show's third hour, as the front runner to replace Curry at the big desk. A formal announcement is expected as soon as next week.
Curry’s fate was essentially sealed when Good Morning America beat Today in the ratings this spring, ending a remarkable string of 852 consecutive weeks as the queen of morning. The two programs have been swapping the top spot since.
What do you think? Is Curry responsible for Today’s decline or is she just a scapegoat?
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Comments (56)
Time will tell how this scenario will play out but one senses that Ms Curry isn’t just a pretty face to play along to demands (she does have her lawyer already on board) which is probably what got her in trouble in the first place…
ps- Where do I sent my resume again Matt?
http://scallywagandvagabond.com/2012/06/ann-curry-turns-up-to-today-show-acting-as-if-she-hasnt-been-fired/— scallywag- I absolutely agree with the network's decision. I used to really like Curry in the past, but she has become quite annoying since her promotion. And her feeble attempts at channeling Diane Sawyer's svelteness are diastrous. She is out of her depth.— POF
- I feel for Ann,, however, I have never really enjoyed listening to her while she talks or interviews a guest. I have found myself....changing the station! I used to crave The Today Show like my breakfast coffee, not any longer! In my opinion Ann does her best work while narrating Dateline Sories. I think Ann tries really hard to be the Cohost we want and expect,, in my opinion, Ann is NOT cut out for this particular position, regardless of how bad she desires it. I wish she would move on graciously! I'm wishing NBC and Ann the best!— K.W.
- I like Ann Curry. I think her only problem is that she is not Meredith Viera, who was top notch in that role. I can't see Savannah Guthrie being any better than Ann Curry.— bwillie
- I have lost interest in The Today Show because of Ann Curry!!! I truly believe she is totally ~ out of her league ~. Some people are cut out to be reporters and cohost, but I, unfortunately, Do NOT feel its for Ann. I wish she would bow out graciously, NBC did her a favor, by giving her a chance, in a position she was totally wrong for. NBC shouldn't be penalized!!! She needs to admit to herself, this position, isn't moving her forward, actually causing her to look foolish....EVERY morning. Sorry Ann!— K.W.
- Just get the hottest chick available. They just have to read the teleprompter, nod at Matt, and laugh at Al.— The Selector
- I always liked Ann Curry. It sucks they keep replacing people. The entertainment industry is cut throat and networks are always looking to blame one specific aspect or person for declining viewership. A lot of times there are various reasons causing a problem. I watch the Today show less and less because they have way too many commercial breaks. There are times when they do a segment and then a ton of ads and then they comeback for a minute or two and go to more commercials. Then certain stories I'm interested in seeing takes them forever to show. I don't want to sit there for an hour when they keep saying "next up" when in reality its 45 minutes away. NBC spends more time showing commercials then they do the news. I understand they need the ads to generate income, but its become ridiculous, its worse than any other station. I get why people are watch ABC or CBS more often now. NBC cannot put the entire blame on Curry when there are other factors that maybe leading viewership away. They do need more real news also.— ChrisHR
- I agree that Ann is not right for the position but please do not replace her with Savannah. I'd rather have Natalie Morales or Meridith back.— debrat
- Making her the scapegoat is a cheap shot, but that's television. My guess is that NBC is getting a lot of heat from their affiliates.Since the expansion of the show, affiliates have lost a bunch of spots to the network. Lost inventory combined with lower ratings makes for unhappy stations.
— johnnymon - Tamron Hall from MSNBC would probably be the best choice. Ask Chicago viewers if they miss her.— jojotr44
- Ann Curry seems like a really decent person but as a co-host she doesn't seem to have the personality. However, the real culprit is NBC! Their BIASED reporting lost me because I don't trust their reliability.— James Weerts
- I'm not a fan of Ann. She's a horrible interviewer and really shows her Liberal colors when she's speaking with a Republican. She doesn't give people a fair shake. I don't mind her narrating Dateline but as a co-host on Today, she's a big turn off. Which is exactly what I've been doing lately.— analogjr
- 3 words: Campbell Brown PLEASE!!!— lcpeterson
- Agree with James Weerts above. I think they put her in that role because she was there for a long time and it would help with the Asian community? I turned to GMA awhile ago too.
— Jasper2020 - Put on Rachael Maddow, other than Matt and Al, there are no other dudes on the show.— jimmymack
- Unless you're interested in Hollywood gossip, Today has become worthless. The only reason to watch it was Ann Curry. If she was "out of her element", it's because she is above the trash that they've chosen to show.— richojr
- Morning shows are only a ghost of what they were 10-15 years ago. They have mostly puff pieces and it's dumbed down to boot. Any semblence of real news is purely accidental. They play up stories about people doing stupid things and ignore in depth reporting. Sadly all TV news reporting is now twitter length and not very informative.
Ann was not a good fit; she seemed too stiff and her interviews were inane.— mad2002mad - television sucks— fbrookes
- Only in Amenica. They leave laur in and get rid of someone who is lightyears ahead of that skin head lauer. They could only make one bigger mistake and that is to bring back Katie. I guess this is how you define success in America.— rduexpress
- AGREE! Ann is ONLY good when she's in the field doing international reporting. I have stopped watching TODAY and started watching GMA the last six months and I don't know why I didn't switch sooner. TODAY was terrible after Meredith left, in my opinion.— carmendmv
- SHE CAN FILE FOR UNENPLOYMENT JUST LIKE THE REST OF THE SMALL PEOPLE REMEMBER WE ARE JUST RENTED HORSES.WHEN YOU CAN'T RUN GLUE FACTORY.— oldbiker
- NBC is a racist station across the board...it takes time to reach your potential..if it ain't white it ain't right...Why not Natalie Morales? Crazy, they will NEVER place a Latina or African American in that position...— kimtores
- I don't like Ann Curry for the same reason Diane Sawyer drives me nuts: Both women invoke far too much emotion into their reporting. I'm not looking for an anchor who empathizes, I'm looking for news. Go back and watch the way Murrow and Cronkite reported and take a page from their textbook.
With that said, the biggest problem is that Today has forgotten its news roots and is little more than fluff and a PR vehicle for NBC enterprises. Get back to hard news in the first hour and then go fluff.
Finally, Savannah Guthrie? I will absolutely be gone for good if that woman get the gig.— Izzie - IF NBC WAS REALLY concerned about getting rid of ratings losers.....Al Sharpton should have been out of a job loooong ago. He is absolutely brutal man, just brutal.— j.k.
- Curry is the worst interviewer. Just watch one and you'll see that she doesn't ask a question and often interrupts the answer.— brio
- Bring back Deborah Norville......— j.k.
- I like Ann, but she's hard to watch. She's always flubbing lines and she always looks uncomfortable when Matt and Al get sarcastic. She can't keep up with them like Viera and Couric could. Guthrie is ok, but she's not witty enough.— ej610
- While they're looking to replace Ann, they should look to retool the show. It's gotten very stale. I like the first hour, then it's all about cooking, shopping and clothes. I feel like I'm in the Today show's kitchen more than my own!— ej610
- Good Luck Ann, where ever you go....
When ratings fall networks seem to blame it on the personalities, rather than the script writers.— FocusTruthFully - My God.. All these morning talk shows are total fluff.. 5 min of semi-serious news, then a fat ugly black man giving the weather followed by celebrity interviews and videos of kittens playing with bunnies.. Stupid Americans watching this crud— Ashburn072
- She's not blonde and ditzy, like Viera and the Fox News bimbos, so therefore she must go. She sues sue NBC for millions for discrimination.— eldiablodelsol2009
- Savannah Guthrie...Ann Curry....what, does ABC's personnel department only look at who's hanging around in the immediate proximity to interview for the co-host slot? Geesh.— URANIUM235
- Always thought Ann was hot.— Vote for Dickie
- Curry has always been a severe lightweight on the show.As Eskin says,addition by subtraction.And she's already retained a legal mouthpiece.Please!!!!— streak1
- Ann Curry is a nice lady but cut out for this job. Savannah Guthrie is not a good choice for a replacement either - she is very divisive.— Foundry Guy
- Here's the problem with Ann-- she has no pizazz. When she celebrated her 10th anniversary with the Today show in 2007, who did they get to "surprise" Ann with the kudos? Elmo from Sesame Street. Not exactly David Beckham or even Neil Patrick Harris.— coachie
- JUST can the whole show ....put Lassie reruns on...Nobody is watching anyway..LMFAO— fbpdplt
- Why can't NBC lure away one of the FOX bimbos, or bring back Deborah Norville? I'm sure she's tired of reading the gossip pages on Inside Edition— Lancer248
- Bring back Jane Pauley! Norville was a disaster. — tdl1501
- Or it could be the same thing that happened that happened to this news paper, nobody is buying their Liberal Propaganda any more. In 2006 the Inquirer/Daily news was sold for $515 million, in 2010 sold for $137 million, in 2012 sold for $55 million. In six years it lost roughly 90% of its value; a horrible price to pay for their lack of objectivity and journalistic integrity… Or they can continue to believe that it is Ann Curry’s fault.— CrashTestCorzine
- The Today show for years has been suffering from chronic mediocrity.— Peter of Manassas
- Ann has been on the show enough and deserved a shot at the big desk. However, she never has looked comfortable and natural there. Time to end this experiment and send her back out in the field where she is in her comfort zone, and is a trusted and calming voice in the wake of a big news story— eisenser
- Ann Curry isn't hot enough to wake me up in the morning.— Tyrone Biggums
- Anne has good skills as an interviewer-she hets along with everyone else on the show. Maybe Matt
is the problem.— deeds - um, who cares?— linuxdood
- I have watched the Today show for years. I like Ann Curry. I thought Meredith was a poor imitation of Katie Couric. Personally I think it is the writer's fault. The news segments are weak. Very little is fresh. Many of the human interest stories are just sad and depressing and the same thing as on the other stations. America is smarter than you think.— mgray
- I like Ann, but if you decide to replace her I really like Maria Shriver. She is a classy lady who I have always found interesting.
— mgray - Matt is the problem. He is repulsive. He is toooooooo in love with himself. He needed to go long ago.— pesticide
- Matt is the problem, because Ann keeps showing everyone how dumb he really is. In the end, it's a stupid television show. Read, people, read.— pigday31
- I used to watch the Today show and always liked Ann Curry because of her understated style. At that time the TODAY show team was Matt, Katie, Ann and Al. They seemed to have a nice camaraderie. I've seen the Hoda/Kathie Lee segment but they're too manic for me. Ann Curry is a good reporter and will do just fine wherever she goes.— sooszq
- First of all, Meredith replaced Katie Couric, so I think any replacement would have pleased Matt. Conversely, Matt and Meredith got along so well, I don't think he would be pleased with any replacement. I have noticed for years that Ann has been dismissed, sometimes in a not so kind way. In my opinion, Ann is most passionate about human interest stories and that is her special niche. I can see though her reason for coming into the studio rather than travelling the world the way she has for a long time. All that being said, the Today format changed about the time Ms Curry took over the 2nd seat. I don't know who dreamed up the stupid "flash topic" format for the 3rd (?) hour. It really doesn't work!
I'd much rather they removed Kathy Lee Gifford with her alcohol soaked 4th hour. If they are going to shake it up...cut their losses with that hour and put Hoda Ktobe in the number 2 spot. There, I think I've solved your problem NBC...I've asked ever since she got the position for you to can Kathy Lee...
For crying out loud though...stop using Ann Curry as the scapegoat for ratings decline. What is the problem with on-going training rather than throw her to the wolves and let her hang out to dry? I'm sure she hasn't been with the show as long as she has because she was incompetent.....and she isn't incompetent now. Eager maybe, incompetent no.— AMR1949 - Savannah Guthrie as the replacement?? Talk about stiff. I find it hard to believe she gets as much airtime as she does now. Man, they are really scrambling at the Today Show.— bobby
- For the record, I believe they now have FOUR HOURS to fill every morning. Who has time for that? I've watched Today since Barbara Walters was on for one reason, because they had a big clock in front of the desk and while I ate my cereal or pop tart I knew exactly how many minutes I had to get to the school bus. Now I live in extremely volatile climates so the first hour is useful for local weather and traffic reports. That's all, folks. No real opinion except it's 95% fluff and I do like Bittman. My guess is that if the producer and Lauer don't like Ann, she's a goner.— tdl1501
- Today's problem isn't Ann Curry. Over the years the show has become so comfortable being number one that they have become lazy. Earlier this week their opening on the 7:30 half hour was about somebody being impaled with some sort of spear. This morning they replayed portions of an interview which had run on Rock Center last night.
When Meredith left the show I thought they should have gone for a much younger co-host (20s or 30s) to replace her. Most of the current cast is old enough to have AARP cards.
I'm not impressed with Savannah Guthrie. She was billed as a legal consultant during the Casey Anthony trial. As I watched her daily coverage of the trial I began to wonder how many episodes of Law & Order she had to watch to get that designation. She came across as a real lightweight in covering a trial. Was that the first real trial she had ever attended?
It only makes sense for Ann to bring legal counsel into this process. It is safe to say NBC is getting advice from their lawyers. The lawyers like to get involved when the company is about to break a contract. As a long-time newsreader for The Today Show, Ann Curry should have been a known quantity for NBC. This is likely to become another Today Show bungle similar in scale to the Deborah Norville fiasco. Norville was a very talented and capable newsreader who was tapped to replace Jane Pauley. NBC fumbled the transition and wound up losing Deborah as the situation worsened PRwise.
If NBC came to regret putting Ann in the cohost spot they should have worked out a "promotion" for her behind the scenes. Since this has made the press it is likely to end as another blackeye for the Today Show and for Ann Curry.— Justin Wachin - First, it was a real kick in the teeth for Meradith to replace Katie. That spot should have been given to Ann. Then they should have faded out Matt. Giving Ann the lead and a mucher younger male host who would have better chemistry with Ann. Ann is clear concise and does a fine job.— pesticide
- She is simply horrible she does not belong in this position she would make a good pall bearer— the commodore
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