Rumors and reports of Matt Lauer being let go from Today are apparently so widespread, that NBC felt the need to deny it.
A statement released by NBC and published in The New York Times states:
“NBC News has no plans to replace Matt Lauer. Everyone at the show hopes he stays for many years to come.”
The report in the NY Times citing unnamed staff members quoting executives at a recent Today staff meeting:
LATEST STORIES
“What matters most is the anchor connection to the audience; what we need to work on is the connection.” Today staff members were told. To many staffers, the unnamed person in all that was Lauer and his diminishing connection to the diminishing Today audience.
But NBC explains that people are reading too much into all this.
According to Perez Hilton, NBC stated “The connection they were referring to was the connection viewers like to see between anchors and the stories on the show.”
Today has fallen behind Good Morning America in the ratings for the first time in 16 years. Lauer’s popularity has especially plummeted since the clumsy departure of Ann Curry as co-host.
The connection they were referring to was the connection viewers like to see between anchors and the stories on the show.”
The network was responding to a report in The New York Times
