Super-Lightweight Open Thread: NBC Offers Matt Lauer’s Job to Anderson Cooper
Posted: March 27, 2013 Filed under: just because, Media, open thread | Tags: Anderson Cooper, Ann Curry, CNN, gossip, Matt Lauer, NBC Today Show 25 Comments
I don’t usually follow media gossip, but I’ve been seeing a lot of bashing of Matt Lauer out of the corner of my eye lately; so this is kind of interesting. It’s all over Twitter that NBC has offered Anderson Cooper Matt Lauer’s job on the Today Snow, and supposedly Lauer is OK with it. He’s been somewhat of a media punching bag since he drove Ann Curry off the Today Show.
TMZ reports, MATT LAUER I’m Down w/ Anderson Replacing Me on ‘Today’
Sources connected with NBC tell TMZ … network honchos approached Anderson Cooper about the possibility of replacing Matt Lauer on the “Today” show at some point … not immediately but at some point.
There is a story on Deadline.com that Matt made a call to Anderson to express his disapproval … TMZ has confirmed that is inaccurate and that call never happened.
In fact, sources connected with the network and Lauer tell TMZ that Lauer is actually on board with the idea of Anderson replacing him … and he actually planned to have a meeting with Anderson to sit down and discuss it.
Matt Lauer has been the subject of much scrutiny recently as reports of what really transpired in the Ann Curry ousting come to light and ratings continue to decline.
And it appears the brass at NBC are now looking to possibly replace Lauer.
Deadline’s Nellie Andreeva reports exclusively:
I hear NBC toppers recently reached out to CNN’s Anderson Cooper to replace Lauer on the show before the end of the year. After their initial approach to Cooper, I hear NBC reached out to Lauer to get his blessing about the changeover. But I heard they got pushback from the Today veteran, who contacted Cooper to express his disapproval. I also hear that call caught Cooper by surprise, as he had assumed Lauer had been brought on board before NBC began making overtures. Cooper has been one of the leading faces at CNN, though I hear his contract has an out, and he previously was able to do his syndicated daytime talk show in addition to his CNN program.
If (like me) you didn’t follow the recent gossip closely, Here’s some more detail on Lauer’s treatment of Ann Curry in a New York Magazine cover story. And here’s the gist, in case you don’t want to wade through the whole thing:
In his new cover story for New York magazine, Joe Hagan offers the most in-depth look at the Today show ratings disaster that has created Matt Lauer’s weeks-long attempt at image rehabilitation, and it’s now clear that the defining moment that brought the morning show crashing down to Earth — the exit of Ann Curry — was something of a cross between the fourth circle of Hell and running with the Heathers in high school: Curry got pranked, she got her clothes made fun of, she was prevented from reaching out to Robin Roberts, and her legacy lives on as a punching bag for NBC to defend the man who couldn’t share camera time with her anymore.
For the past several weeks, we’ve seen Lauer, Camp Lauer, and NBC executives trip over themselves trying to figure out how to talk to the media and spin the official history of Curry’s demise as a refresh for Today and especially Lauer. Talk to the Daily Beast‘s Howard Kurtz, and you can come away with a glossy, press release masquerading as an “exclusive.” Don’t talk to The New York Times‘s Brian Stelter, or you’ll find out Lauer is basically Voldemort in the halls of NBC.
Which brings us to New York‘s Hagan, who goes more than 6,500 words deep, with the official blessing of NBC… but also a blessed bit of honest analysis and reporting. On the surface, you can see Lauer and executives stick to the tracings of the NBC script so far — that Curry’s exit wasn’t his fault, that NBC executives made the decision, that Lauer was just caught in the crossfire. But Hagan’s piece digs into the deeper reality that Lauer in some respects failed at the basics of his job, and that those failures slid past executives who were so quick to lower the axe on Curry.
Read the highlights at the Business Insider link above.
The big question is who will replace Anderson Cooper? Who would want to work for CNN?
Please don’t feel you have to discuss this story–talk about anything you want. I just thought we needed a fresh thread.
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BabyCam Catches Toddler Picking Lock on Sister’s Bedroom Door, Stealing Her Stuffed Animal
Too cute and that’s one smart two year old!
He’ll make one good politician.
That just put a smile on my face. I love those little jammies.
I was impressed that he even closed both doors again!
I absolutely hate Matt Lauer. Having said that I have to add that Lauer is not the sole reason for the ratings tumble Today is experiencing. He’s the reason I stopped watching it but even if you take him out of the picture the show still sucks. If you’re interested in news in the morning, why wouldn’t you go to CBS and get the news from Charlie Rose, Gayle King, and Norah O’Donnell? I complained about Gayle King at first because she was a terrible interviewer but to her credit she has really improved. What’s not to like?
I can’t stand Lauer either, but I think all those morning shows suck.
Yup, they sure do suck. I see Tucker Carlson has his own now…Tucker Carlson To Host Fox News Morning Show – Deadline.com
Agreed, why are they there anyway? I want news, not tripe.
I think I pretty much stopped watching the morning shows when David Hartman left Good Morning America. I’ve come across the Today Show a couple of times, flipping the channels and there is Kathy Lee Gifford (yuck, yuck & more yuck) & her faithful sidekick talking about something totally inane. I couldn’t get away fast enough. And personally, I think Anderson Cooper peaked a while ago.
Hey, take a look at this shit: noquarterusa.net/blog/75715/why-did-obama-put-a-fat-girl-in-charge-of-secret-service/
I quoted the whole post so you would not have to click on the link.
Larry Johnson is an ass…..but I thought this was ridiculous.
That’s pretty disgusting. I doubt if the director has to run alongside limos. Frankly, I can’t believe No Quarter still exists or that anyone would read it.
They’re just a bad joke. I’m waiting on that “whitey” tape.
Clearly there is a sexist judgement conflict in one whom purportedly supported HRC’s run.
Matt Lauer can suck it…
Wow, look at this: Google Street View Captures Ghost Town in Fukushima’s Evacuation Zone – NYTimes.com
That’s so sad.
That is sad, and scary too. It could so easily be us.
Not totally a ghost town – there are still abandoned animals there. You can see a video of some of the cats here:
http://owlhousecats.blogspot.com/2013/02/blog-post.html
And here’s the website of the non-profit that is caring for & rescuing the cats: http://japancatnet.com/
I also saw a post recently of a man who went back to care for his cows. I’ll see if I can track it down, if anyone is interested.
Shit, dammit….Ashley Judd Will NOT Run For Senate In Kentucky – Business Insider
That’s too bad. I thought she would have made a great run at it with a decent chance to win.
Boehner committed $3M in taxpayers’ money for DOMA defense–6 times as much as he originally said.
http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2013/03/27/taxpayers-get-3-million-bill-for-defending-doma-boehner-clams-up/
Breaking: With Nation’s Eyes Elsewhere, President Obama Signs Monsanto Protection Act Into Law. ~ Kevin Macku http://ow.ly/2vMdyF