Robin Red

Whether if they did or not, the rumors are out there. These rumors have been around for almost ten years.

Considering that the program is turning more into infotainment, I would not be surprised but then again going to NBC Today is the kiss of career death for male anchors. Yes but their ratings are eradicting. I think people are just bored with the morning show format and turning more to informative news. Matt Lauer gets paid a lot of money considering that all he does is fluffy content. Savannah lacks a warmth quality about her that you see with Robin Roberts and her predecessors. Katie and Meredith had likable qualities which helped get Matt Lauer over. Matt needs good co-anchors to get him over cause he has an arrogant vibe about him. This is why I believe, he is overrated as far as his appeal is concerned. I don't think so cause the plan before Natalie moving was to downgrade the newsreader position. Plus it has been known that Natalie wanted to become the co-anchor of Today but her affair with Lauer hindered her chances of being promoted. Morales probably wanted to become a leading anchor but her affair with Lauer cost her upward mobility. Hosting Access Hollywood is probably the best opportutnity she will ever get. She does not have a household name recognition to ever host other popular news programs. Another is that she probably wanted to flex her muscles and do different programs. When you are part of the Today show, you devote most of your time to that program. Natalie is now hosting documentaries which is probably what she wanted to do.

They said after election season is over but I get a feeling it will be extended to after the inaugration. Billy Bush was considered a potential replacement and rival. There is Willie Geist he seems to be the most logical choice. They can get Ryan Seacrest who is another favorite and lower mainteance then Billy Bush. I think Lester Holt was considered a true sucessor but now he has the evening news job and in some ways doing a morning show is considered beneath him. It would make sense but he is so disliked. The only people celebrating will be the on air talent and they pocket of die hard fans. Lauer would have been okay in my book if I did not hear all the stories and reports about him from people who have worked in the industry and dealt with his contracts. I have heard non flattering things about him and how he handles the Today show.

Nope, but just thinking about the alternative universe, what they would've avoided if they promoted Lester to Today. He is a well liked anchor and well rounded so the transition won't be a big deal. It seems to me that Today show is still trying hard to rehab Lauer's image even though majority of viewers can't stand him. I think he was asked cause he filled in last week after the tape debacle. Today show is suffering from PR crisis with the Billy Bush tape. So reason why he is asked cause Lester Holt is a good and stable presence that NBC always needs. To me, I think he has done so much to rehab NBC's bad image and crisis. Look at how Lauer flooped that townhall forum and his negligence put all that unnecessary pressure and drama on Lester Holt which distracted away from doing the debate and gave the candidates ammunition to play the ref.

I love seeing Lester anchor any program, it was nice seeing him on the Today show. Though in my mind, him anchoring the program seems beneath him nowadays. Today show is no longer a news program but infotainment. Last laugh at the Today show, they keep screwing up in their anchor decision making. They should've done the right thing years ago, let Matt out of his contract and have Lester host weekday Today. They would've avoided so much drama with their brand and Lauer if they got Lester. He costs too much and the ratings don't justify him getting that kind of money. Lester would've brought the show back to #1.

Who did he blackmail to become the morning anchor, I don't think he is smooth enough to become a top anchor.

I think they are trying to prepare Hoda to fill in once Savannah goes on maternity leave. Them emphasizing three people instead of five or seven people just shows how much a threat and momentum CBS This Morning has build. CBS This Morning is rising in the mornings and if their program was only shown in all markets they would have to most traction.

http://pagesix.com/2016/09/15/lauers-botched-presidential-interviews-may-not-have-been-his-fault/ Apparently Matt Lauer was left hung out to dry after the Commander in Chief forum. I don't feel sorry for him, finally the NBC bosses are waking up to him.He's an arrogant man who has destoryed people's careers and for so long has blamed everybody for bad things happening to him but has no humble bone in his body to apologize when it was clearly his fault. He was a huge player in wanting Ann Curry removed and he blamed everyone including upper management. He has overstayed his welcome at NBC and the entire brand would be much better without him. The best thing that NBC would do is get rid of him, he is overpaid to the max and everybody else can do his job. He does not stand out nor do people really like him. They are just wasting money on him. The Today show will survive without him, and they would be a much better brand without him. Hopefully after November he won't renew his contract.

If you go by season overall GMA is still #1, demo win is good for advertisers but does not make a show #1 in terms of better booking and overall viewership.

Well it has been known that GMA always wanted to have a third hour and compete with Today show. Even though GMA is #1 morning show it does not generate as much revenue as Today show cause Today has four hours of programming unlike GMA's two hours. They wanted to make Live with Kelly apart of GMA.

According to USA Today, which actually sent an investigative reporter to the scene and to the police department, not to mention interviewing an eyewitness who had translated between the four Americans and the "law enforcement" personnel, Lochte may have told a lot more truth than not. Costas and Lauer were way too gleefully accepting of the initial police version. Lochte did indeed "embellish" the original story, but it wasn't that far off the mark. Read the investigative reporter's detailed story. You will have a much clearer understanding that the Rio police, anxious to protect the image that Rio portrayed across the globe during the Olympics, covered up a mountain of exculpatory evidence. http://www.usatoday.com/.../investigation-ryan.../8908223 We will see what happens when he goes down to Brazil. Rio wants him to come down and if does not he will be charged with robbery. However, Lochte story has not affected him getting new endorsement deals. Everything I just said is all speculative on why NBC became so upset with Roker. I am looking at their a business standpoint. Executives are business people and most of them don't care unless if affects their business relations and dollars. They must of been upset about something, cause Roker has gotten away with a lot of heated comments that never sticked or affected their main bottom goal. Al Roker was the first person who called Lochte a liar on mass air waves, it was not Bob Costas, Matt Lauer, or even Billy Bush. The Olympics and NBC are in a partnership. It only takes one stupid moment and heated comments it could affect relations for 5-10 years.

We have to look at this through a professional POV. As viewers we agree but as bosses or people who were to work at NBC it could considered troubling for business relations. I think it is cause it is not Al Roker's place to comment on situations of things. What Al Roker did was borderline character assasinate Ryan Lochte and if Lochte gets cleared and proven innoncent he can potentially sue Roker/NBC for defamation. Al Roker has always been a person who overreaches and wants to do things beyond his job description and multiple times he has put his foot in his mouth. NBC can't keep a guy like that, especially if it involves situation close to them like Ryan Lochte and their rights to hold the Olympics. Roker's job is to give people the story not interject his opinions and since NBC has strong ties to USOC, IOC etc whatever happens with Lochete may impact ties with them in the long run.

Their ratings are down anyway. Not many people miss Al when Dylan Dryer fills in. Today show wants so go a more infotainment format that has been their desire since they were mulling about Lauer's contract back in 2014. They only kept the current format cause it suits his strengths which is more about interviewing.There was a time where that show used to carry a certain class to it but that is long gone. People are watching other morning shows and have outgrown the ADD mentality. Geist probably feels blindsighted cause he feels that he was going to get Matt's spot. Sunday Today is a test run to see how Willie does as a solo host. If they are thinking about getting a new host then they have to test him. They need to see how viewers react to him being host and handling hard news. NBC has entertained other hosts as well for taking Today show. Ryan Seacrest-- NBC showed interest and he is part of the NBC Universal family, he is no longer on American Idol . His name recognition makes him alluring for NBC. Don Lemon-- He would make sense and he has the personality to do the entertainment part of the show. Billy Bush--now it has come to life, he is the third hour of the Today show.

NBC is not happy with Al Roker's rant about Ryan Lochte. I can't stand Al Roker, he is obnoxious, I don't find him charming at all. He has gotten away with a lot of crap on the Today show. I watch him make fun of people and he calls it a joke. He should be replaced, he's been there too long. I ain't fan of Billy Bush but Al Roker's been a jerk to him when they were in Rio. Even the gossip sites are talking about Al Roker's behaviror. They should get a new weather person seriosuly cause I am sure most of America is tired of Roker as well as Lauer. http://pagesix.com/2016/08/23/al-rokers-lochte-rant-causing-drama-at-today/

With the exception of Meredith, most of the on air talent that NBC has problems with are the ones with the big egos. Big egos make life difficult for bosses and the networks. Big egos are not humble and they think that since they have a name, they can run wild and do whatever they want to do. Matt Lauer used to come in 3 days a week, he believed he was too good to show up a full week but knowing he was getting a lot of money. Let's be honest, if Lester Holt took a couple of days off from work, his co-workers on air would haze him for it. I remember when he showed up for work late on Weekend Today, his co-anchor hazed him throughout the show. Though they try to joke it off there is much hypocrisy at that network one standard for one guy and a different standard for another, that is bad work place culture. If you look at the local networks most of long time anchors are now doing longer on air hours. Most of them would 5,6, and 10 pm hours now.

It is a different culture today, Roker and Lauer have ran that program into a deliquent low rated show. The only person post Curry on the Today show worth watching was Lester Holt he had class. The weekend Today show was great when he was there and he is a big leaguer now. I think Lester is enjoying his new job then having to do those teenage antics in the morning. I have a feeling that Natalie Morales probably enjoys her new job now that she has left Today show.

Katie and Meredith were more popular then Matt, he has always been a person who rode on the success of people. Matt Lauer wanted chemistry but Ann wanted substance.Ann Curry was a successful journalist but what was never said was that she wanted to focus on hard news while Matt Lauer wanted to focus on cottonball stories. That lead to their creative differences .

It's cause they did not want their Olympics to look bad by beliving that Lochte was not lying and NBC/Comast has a stake with Lochte. They were the ones that helped him in launching his own reality show on E! So him lying about this hurts NBC's PR cause technically he is extended member of the Comcast/NBC brand. Most of these desk job hacks on NBC lost their intergrity for the sake of television, being a personality and sucking up to tv bosses. Remember when Hoda Kotb used to be a journalist. Lauer is no exception and he was never in Gumbel's level he is psuedo journalist who rode on Gumbel's success. He was a journeyman host who got his big break on NBC by having a good agent, with a little rise in ratings he believed in his hype but in reality it was Katie Couric and Meredith Viera who made Matt more appealing then he was. I've never seen Lauer do any real indepth journalistic reporting since he has been the top anchor. All of his work has been fluffy pillow segments and scripted questions.

Olbermann did not lie to people, he was fired for giving money to Democratic candidiates.

Well now he is trying to take control of the Lochte situation by keeping Billy Bush out and trying to assert his dominance by discouting Ari's analysis. The real issue is Lochte lied to NBC News and made a fool of them. I saw him with Bob Costas during the Olympics primetime and he did the worse thing that any "journalist" would do and that is internalize the situation by saying he believes Lochte would not lie about this. Any good journalist would remain skeptical about this until the case has been settled with law enforcement.

You are right but Roker looks more like a senile bitter man. They need to get Dylan Dreyer to replace him. People like her more anyway, Roker has worn out his welcome on that show. The Olympic Today coverage has been terrible and unprofessional, the anchors are to self centered. It seems like they care more about their antics then promoting the athletes. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3748912/Today-host-Matt-Lauer-accused-burning-colleague-Billy-Bush-swooping-Ryan-Lochte-robbery-exclusive.html More drama from the Today show. I prefer Bryant Gumble as host then Matt Lauer even though Gumble was a douche he was an intelligent douche. Gumble would not let Al Roker get away with his antics and Gumble would keep the interview focused on the interviewer instead of the host or his co-anchors. Gumble should return and guest co-host, sure he was arrogant but he knew what he was doing. From the way, the reports have been circulating around the Today show it seems like Matt Lauer has turned that show into high school drama club.

Bryant Gumbel had his own HBO sports show and he wanted to devote a lot of time to it. He left by his own accord, I don't believe he was forced out. He did eventually go to Early show and that did not work out. *Al Roker is acting like a prissy jerk on the Today show, I wonder if he has been drinking a lot. Word on the street is that Today show people go crazy during Olympics time and party.

Jane Pauley was also hazed, that probably lead to her becoming bipolar. I am sure there are more people but those were the ones that was publicize. It is ashame that grown adults mistreat each other in "professional" workplace. They could to most civil thing, pull them aside and help them develop. I heard that morning shows are the worse though. A glam job that most people want and that would mean more sharks willing to turn on each other and on air talent wanting to hold on to their pork chop.

http://pagesix.com/2016/08/15/billy-bush-plagued-by-mean-girls-mentality-at-today/ Apparently there is no love between Billy Bush and the rest of the Today show crew. Watching a little bit of Today show, Al Roker has been acting like a jerk on camera. I can so believe this, with Billy Bush coming to the Today show. I wonder if he is having regrets joining the Today show cast, or are the people on the Today show threatned by the changes of the Today show. He is a gossip guy and the Today show has been going on the more gossip venue for years.

They are still trying to do the redemption story with him. He is damaged beyond belief, anything that he says becomes a meme. Why can't they bring back Keith Olbermann, he is needed especially with this heavy election cycle.