The rumor mill about talent changes on NBC’s “Today” continues to churn. The latest news, from The Hollywood Reporter, is that Ann Curry will remain at NBC in a “substantial” role after her exit from the program, a move which is supported by the NBC affiliates, Broadcasting & Cable‘s Michael Malone reports:
The NBC affiliates have heard nothing from the network about changes to frontline talent at the venerable franchise, and several station chiefs were reluctant to speak on the record, including affiliates board chairman Jordan Wertlieb, until things are official. But several say the problems at Today, which has famously seen its lead over ABC’s Good Morning America shrink in recent months, will continue until a change is made. They echo the oft-uttered charge that Curry and Matt Lauer lack chemistry, believe she does not successfully connect with female viewers, and say Curry is too rigid on the show’s frilly bits.
“The thing we look for in television is chemistry, chemistry, chemistry,” says one East Coast GM at an NBC station who asked to not be named. “I’m looking at Hoda and Kathie right now, and that’s an incredibly good example. They obviously enjoy each other and finish each other’s sentences. We just don’t have that [with Matt and Ann].”
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