Robin Red

I've been thinking and saying this a while now. Both Matt and Al were there 20+ years and its time to slowly phase them out. They've were good bit now you can see both are not as passionate as they once were.

They need to get Matt Lauer out of there. He is shrinking down Today show and NBC News. The more they keep him there, the likely that NBC will go down to third place. Today's show shrinking ratings is affecting all NBC news show. Al Roker is old news, he is not a meterologist he is nothing but a senile glorified clown. I go through days where I say to myself get this old clown off my television. I was very impressed with Dylan's coverage during Hurricane Harvey with Lester. I am okay with her being a permanent weather woman.

The should phase Lauer out after the Olympics, they can rotate male anchors. It won't make much a difference cause Lauer is so unpopular.

Here's my Today Show people they should get rid of:

•Megyn Kelly (worst ratings)

•Matt Lauer (leaving soon)

•Carson Daly (say goodbye to Orange Room)

•Al Roker (no reason)

 

 

Thanks to Megyn Kelly's arrival on NBC, she has caused Today the worst ratings EVER.

I agree but I think NBC might be grooming Megyn to take Matt's job.

To me Today show has been losing momentum the past 8 years but this the worse crew on Today show now. Al Roker needs to retire, talk about a played out character. Matt Lauer needs to go he is like a rotted fish.

Guys I speculate there might be more to the Megyn Kelly deal then just the talk show. I specualte that in reality NBC is probably behind her because they want to groom her for the Today show. Their main objective is getting Matt Lauer out of the NBC. He costs too much money, ratings decline and he is unpopular. Lauer has ruined people's careers who who were being groomed to replace him. NBC is behind Megyn cause they have a long term plan, she has a bit of name and she is a female. Whereas the rest of the other hosts being groomed in the past were male. Lauer can't play politics with her like he did with the previous hosts.

Savannah Guthrie celebrate five years at Today show.

MSNBC is bringing back On Assignment with Richard Engel. Features the same logo as the Dateline version. It looks to be a special series with the first episode on Friday 7 July at 9PM.

 

Ever so often MSNBC gives Richard Engel some airtime for his long form reports.

The On Assignment newsmagazine had legs that NBC could work with. On Assignment on NBC did so much better then Megyn Kelly's newsmagazine. The problem is that NBC always wants to compete with 60 Minutes, they should give it up. There is only one 60 Minutes.

She never got good ratings for two reasons:

 

1) Her time slot was also awkward -- She followed Chuck Todd and the last NBC News branded "straight news" program, and preceded Chris Matthews and all that is him. Her ability to be the merging point for those two just never materialized.

 

2) You also have to remember, some of the big breaking stories that have happened over the past six months either happened or was dropped by the print media between 4-6pm... and she just doesn't have the chops for breaking news. If you need an example, just remember Comey's firing day -- she had Dershowitz and some other person on, and they just weren't inspiring. I remember watching for maybe 10 minutes before dumping (reluctantly) to CNN.

 

 

I don't think this could be said enough. Outside of her weakness as a broadcaster, she has never had a good production value or (outside of the politicians) no good guests on any of her shows. Evem at FOX News, where your really don't need a good production team since the viewers are pretty damn loyal, her show seemed lackluster at best.

 

 

 

Even in the deep forest that is weekend primetime, I think she would have suffered. She's a lawyer by trade, and she'd probably have been better off as either a legal contributor to Rachel (since they're friends and all) or even as a Legal Analyst alongside Ari Melber, the networks chief legal correspondent (who ironically is taking her slot).

 

It's neither all her fault nor all MSNBC. They both fucked up.

Greta is a weak broadcaster, she worked at Fox News cause she was not threatening and she had that twang which appealed to a certain audience.

She was placed in a bad time slot, the 6:00 time slot is the worse time slot in cable news. No show that is on the 6:00 hour does well on MSNBC. I am surprised Al Sharpton's show did as well as it did. Cable newsers are competing against evening news and evening news brings in millions of viewers a night. Greta had no chance and also she probably left cause she knew trouble was brewing with the scandals and she did not want to be a apart of it.

I don't mind Hallie. I want to know what's so special about Katy Tur? If Craig is off, she subs for him. If Chuck is off, she subs him. She's on more often than everyone else @ MSNBC and is the absolute worst. Is there no one else who can take on more work/responsibility (Ali, Peter, etc..) besides her? She just awful beyond belief.

Katy Tur got her career started by dating Keith Olbermann. Peter Alexander ocassionally fills in and sometimes Kristen Welker.

The one person I don't mind seeing on MSNBC is Harris Faulkner from Fox, she seems like a decent journalist who is just doing what she has to do. I don't get a radical nut job vibe from her like the loons on Fox.

They paid a lot of money for her so expect them to try her everywhere...and everyplace...until they exhaust her or the viewers.

 

She really compared herself to Oprah????

 

For real???

That's just plain dopey of her.

Her ego and high confidence in herself. She will probably turn off people cause she is full of herself. She does not have a cool sister factor like Wendy Williams, a mother like vibe of Oprah or even a cutesy vibe of Kelly Ripa. I don't know what she will represent.

They can give her the stars, the moon, the Today show or give her an Hollywood audition just don't mess with Lester Holt and his job security. He has been their blood, bones and vitality for that network. Highly respected among viewers, revered and history making journalist and possible historical figure in his industry. Lester has surpassed the level of his other peers in terms of his importance and significigance to their industry. Lack can't be stupid enough to play politics and push him aside like he can with the rest of his talent. If he does that, then he will risk boycotts and riots and viewers leaving in drove. That boycott outside of News Corp is nothing compared to what will happen if Lack decides to mess with Lester.

Who ever compared Megyn Kelly to Oprah?

 

Let's say Kelly flops at NBC ...and FNC takes a hit when they are forced to hire a bunch of fugly frumps...

 

Kelly will just return to FNC cuz "everybody loves a comeback!"...and that creepy Raj is dead so "The Amazons" can run the FOX haus.

 

Hell I bet the repubs can get Megyn all groomed and ready to run for prez by 2024.

Megyn Kelly thinks she can be the next Oprah, she said that was who she looked up to and who she aspires to be.

Andrew Lack is going to do whatever he can to keep her cause she is a huge gamble. How many Sunday magazine do well when competing against 60 Minutes. They are in over their head with their big egos. Lack has a big ego. At best, he probably promised her a job on Today show or Meet The Press. He will probably phase out Lauer in the next couple of years.

Nicole Wallace is cool. I am happy for her. Stephanie Ruhle, she is cool, like her show, passionate and can host her own business show on MSNBC.

Am I the only who thinks that Hallie Jackson is a little overrated? I like Hallie but at the same time I think her fast rise is getting inside her head.

She has been given a big push but I was listening to her the other day and she has a motor mouth.She works so much, she must be on speed. She talked way to fast and her story was all over the place. I don't think she is ready for primetime. Needs to go back to being a White House Correspondent before getting a show.

What happened to Morgan Radford? She is intelligent and speaks very calmly. Lack should put her on tv. He has a serious lack of diversity issues on MSNBC.

Yeah, that article was posted yesterday. NBC denied it today and said that they're still working through negotiations. It is by no means official.

 

I still don't know how they're going to get out of this though. The smart money is on keeping your talent that have huge ratings right now. I can't help but think that Andy Lack hasn't really evolved his programming strategy for MSNBC beyond 1996 if he thinks Brian Williams is the future of the channel.

He should keep Lawrence O'Donnell and axe Brian Williams 11pm spot to put in a open panel unrated discussion show.

I have been hearing a rumor that Lack wants to give Brian Williams a primetime spot. That is very stupid, cause Williams is damaged goods and lucky to still be working. Williams is a ticking time bomb and all that Lack cares about is getting more juice out of Williams. All that Lack should care about is trying to put Williams into retirement the next few years.

Lack has a diversity issue he is hiring all these white bread hosts but once the election rolls around the diverse electorate is going to come back into full force again. He needs diverse hosts, he should steal someone like Angela Rye on CNN who is very smart and great for television.

This next election is going to be election for the millenials and MSNBC does not have the pulse of millenials who is going to be a predominant group in the next four years.

Sucks, Megyn Kelly is destined to fail. She cannot compete with Live w/ Kelly. Her FOX viewers aren't going to watch, and NBC viewers will be turned away.

I think Andrew Lack and Megyn Kelly are in over their heads. Megyn Kelly's rise to fame is nothing but a mainstream media creation cause she was Trump's favorite punching bag and worked for Fox News. It was conservative vs conservative talk show host and the media ate it up and played the sexism card and she reaped the benefit from it. I think her star power is overestimated.

Her show will benefit from a good consistent time slot following Today show but at part of me specualtes that was she signed on to get a big job. She may get Matt or Savannah's job. If NBC fails with her it will be the worse experiment since Katie Couric. Knowing how big an ego Andrew Lack has, he will do whatever he can to show justify her high paycheck. Megyn Kelly is over her head if she thinks she be can be like Oprah. She does not have the natural likability factor and Oprah is in her own legaue.

What audience can Megyn Kelly hold onto, besides the conservative over 65 year old base.

The only person at NBC who has Oprah like presence and appeal is Lester Holt. He is very likable, credible.

Actually the new version when it was started in 2013 was kind of refreshing. It only became irrelevant when Natalie and Willie left.

I never was a fan of the 3rd hour to tell you the truth.

To be honest I tihnk the Third Hour had become kind of irrelevant since Natalie and Willie left. I have not watch that hour since July.

 

What I don't get is why they brought Billy Bush on if they were planning to get rid of that hour anyway?

Yup it was just a filler hour of the same thing.

TODAY Show has been beating GMA in Age 18-54 Demo since Aug 2015 which is what really matters to advertisers. They been Cutting the Gap with GMA in Total Viewership and have beat them i that category 5 or 6 Times in last year. GMA is losing more.

Compared to where they were a couple of years ago, Today show viewership is down. GMA and Today have lost viewers dramatically and right now in a little bubble competing with themselves but they are not building new audience. CBS This Morning is building new viewers and is the threat.

Some reports circulating that Megyn Kelly might be Matt Lauer's replacement. And that Lauer was out of the loop when Kelly got hired. His press people are saying that he knew Megyn was getting hired and NBC inside sources are saying he did not know. A clash of two big egos, with Megyn Kelly coming in to NBC no doubt the executives are going to groom her for a top job. Some people say Savannah's job is in danger but I can't see Matt and Megyn working well together. They both are going to compete for big interviews. Some people are saying that Savannah might work with Chuck Todd on Meet The Press. It is possible cause I am sure Savannah outgrew the silliness of morning tv while working with Holt, Todd and Brokaw.

I have a feeling that Lauer is going to get pushed out in 2018, the numbers are declining and he is not as popular as Today show producers think he is.

I am so happy that Kristen Welker shined inaugration day then Al Roker. He is an overpaid sap who is losing his relevancy, they should move the road warriors over to NBC Today show.

The 65th anniversary segments on the Friday formal anniversary were painful.

 

None of the prior anchors showed up live (Meredith aside). They briefly interviewed Brokaw, Couric, Norville, but nothing with Gumbel or Pauley.

 

The current hosts looked drained and awkward during the segments.

 

And not a note of the old 80s theme that's been trotted out for every anniversary the last 30 years or so. This show has lost all semblance of its tradition, and it's not a forward progression.

 

There was an air of 'not sure this show will be relevant going forward' when they toasted to the future.

Reason why cause heavy news journalists left the program. Despite what people say about Gumbel he brought intellectulaism to the show. Meredith has outgrown the program and feels forced for her to be there . The current team members is the weakest lineup I have seen. From Matt, Roker, Gifford, Hall, Geist and Kotb a bunch of lightweights.

I am glad Jane Pauley is doing very well on CBS Sunday Morning.

Coming into Today in 2006, Meredith's credentials were already impressive. Hard to not have her equal to Matt. As for Savannah, if not for Matt's tenure at Today, she would be seen as equal, even surpassing Matt. NBC News worked her hard in 2016, with primetime election coverages and going on Today the following day.

 

 

 

I agree that she would return, but you never know. As Today is celebrating their 65th anniversary, Ann was the host of the program when it turned 60. At this point, the people that were involved with her being ousted are still in Today. I would say maybe in 20 years, minimum, she would come back. It is apparent to us that this was a prime example of PR mistakes and lack of foresight by NBC News. Regardless of the leaks that came out about her relationship with the Today Show talent and executives, I think the NBC News brass tried to force Ann into the co-anchor mold of Katie and Meredith, not having the foresight that the chemistry with Matt and her strengths as an anchor was different from her predecessors.

 

P.S. Sorry for the Ann Curry fiasco rant there.

The problem is that NBC has build the Today show so much around Lauer then everybody else. He is very overrated host, he is just an interviewer and not a well rounded journalist. That they can't focus beyond that. They have good enough hosts, where the show will be find without him. You don't need great journalism skills to run a show that focuses on cooking, clothes, celebrities and silliness. To most hard news journalists, hosting the Today show is like a day off. Lauer has conned people at NBC to believe that he is some great journalist at Today show when he is nothing more then a host . Since Lauer has so much control over the show, it is hard for journalists to rise. Look at what they have done to Hoda Kotb, she was a solid journalist and overtime she became a silly party girl.

That is the problem and that is why Savannah could not rise. Also Savannah lacks certain elements to make her a good host. Savannah rises when she is out of the Today show element or when Matt is not there. She works very well when she is with Lester Holt, Chuck Todd, Tom Brokaw cause she is surrounded by people who are hard news focused journalist.

If they can focus on Today show not being so personality base then good journalists would rise there. Today show started to change when Katie Couric left, the silliness and fratness of the show started to happen. Meredith did the best she can, but she was pressured to make the chemistry work with Lauer then the journalism and she became very silly.Ann Curry's problem was that she did not want to do the entertainment aspect of the show. She felt the program could've gone a more serious direction in becoming a more informative morning show then a show that caters towards soft news and entertainment. That was one of her goals which is why she advocated for certain guests to come on her program like the Dali Lama. If Ann Curry had a host she was able to work with like Lester Holt, they she would've kept her job and Curry had a better partner that shared her philosophies then most of the NBC drama would've been avoided. That was the problem that Ann Curry had as well, she wanted the show to focus more on the news and less on the celebrities and the hosts acting silly. She was scape goated cause she did not want to flirt with Lauer and act silly, it is plain and simple. If you start to surpass Lauer or don't cater to him then you get pushed out.

Last week with Katie was exceptional, her and Matt just have that natural chemistry between the two of them. So far with Meredith, it's just not there. She wasn't a natural like Katie is and it's almost like she really doesn't want to be there. I understand that Matt and Meredith's chemistry with one another was always different than what he had with Katie but I don't remember it being this bad. All morning it's Matt making jokes and Meredith just sort of laughs and continues reading the prompter. Monday, she was so agitated by standing outside of Studio 1A in the cold and was making it very apparent. Ehh.

Meredith Vieria has outgrew kiddie morning television, I can't blame her. The witless banter and stupid off color jokes gets tiring over time. Meredith tolerates Matt but Katie knows how to keep her distance from Matt to do what she has to do. When she was at the Today show, Katie always knew how to be her own person. Whereas with other co-anchors they have to play a second fiddle to Matt .

Meredith should go and do a trial at CBS This Morning, it is a better show and better platform if you want substance.

Where would Brian logically go? 11pm is probably the only timeslot where he can't compete with Nightly News. Unless the plan is to eventually loosen that provision because he wouldn't pose much of a threat...

Part of Andrew Lack's plan to rehab Brian Williams image. It won't work cause he is already a laughtng stock and Fox News continues to kick their ass.

Actually Glor was a weekend anchor of the Evening News 2 years before the last remnant of The Early Show. He'd later go back to it after the former's cancellation for a few more years.

I know most news anchors have less personality than the hosts but he apparently had enough to stay with CBS all these years.

Jeff Glor is not a terrible anchor but for a weekday gig, he is not cut out for it. Glor is a a good sub guy, he is not a clown, he is all about business which is possibly a reason why he is still with CBS. Glor from the Early Show was the best one if you look at the last team. I am not trying to say you have to be a Mr Personality to become a evening news anchor, but people have to be familiar with you and your work to get the job. Even when CBS had Katie Couric it failed cause Katie Couric was not a "serious journalist". What has Glor done, to make people remember his work.

Real simple...

The next anchor / presenter of Tthe CBS Evening News will be...

 

Somebody very, very, cheap....and very "promising".

I really think the days of the BigTV network anchor are just about over. CBS want to save major duckets...so you DON't go big on the anchor.

Correct me if i'm wrong...but isn't Pelly the lowest paid Net anchor anyway?

People still watch the evening news, they get higher numbers then the network morning shows. I don't think that is the major issue, the issue is how being a network anchor is going to fit in during this age of cable news and partisanship. Network evening news will have to tweak and do different things, their jobs is to be the highest standard of news unlike cable. Network anchors are going to have reach out beyond their platform. CBS needs bigger platforms.

I also think demographics plays a part, CBS will need people of diversity. NBC is by no means a superior news division but they have mutiple platforms, which is how they are able to get talent. CBS will have to create multiple platforms for their news division

If these CBS rumors are legitimate (consider the source), CBS has to have something up their sleeve in terms of luring somebody to the Broadcast Center because there isn't a de facto replacement in the mix. And frankly, I think Pelley has done a solid job and doesn't really need to be replaced.

CBS could do a poach, but who can they bring in. I can't think of anybody on television who qualifies for CBS evening news.

Article mentioned Norah O'Donnell. I also read elsewhere that Jeff Glor is a possibility, and would bring a younger image (just as David Muir did at ABC) to the program.

 

I personally thought that Scott was always a bad fit for the program. As the article stated, he is too slow placed and always came across to me as boring as hell.

 

I also felt that John Dickerson was not the best choice for Face the Nation either.

 

CBS This Morning is one of few bright spots for the network and I feel they'd be dumb to mess with that team and the momentum they have going. I also like Jane Pauley on Sunday Morning, so that's another bright spot.

Jeff Glor is bland, a carrot got more personality them him. Glor is a leftover from the failed team at CBS Early Show. CBS overall has the strongest news division out the big three networks.

ABC has GMA and NBC has Nightly News

CBS has Sunday Morning, 60 Minutes and positive reviews with CBS This Morning.

Savannah has Renewed (Extended) her Contract: http://variety.com/2016/tv/news/nbc-renews-savannah-gutrhie-contract-today-1201933575/

It has been an absolute pleasure watching Hoda fill in while Savannah is on maternity leave. Perhaps Savannah should stay home with her kids and Hoda slide right in on a permanent basis. While I know that is unrealistic, it would make the show watchable again. Matt and Savannah's bias is nauseating, at least Hoda brings a journalistic balance.

Matt and Savannah are bland but Savannah is the lesser of two evils, if one had to make a choice. Savannah is not out there messing and backstabbing people. Savannah only needs a strong male anchor to make the partnership work. The Today show would be fine without Matt if they only got a likeable host like a Lester Holt or Carl Quintanilla type. They missed their chances too many times and petty politics at NBC. Matt would not have gotten anywhere if he did not ride on the female anchors who were more likable them him.

Perhaps all the new NBC Mommy's and Granmommy's could convince NBC to build a child care area on The Today Show set.

 

"Awwwww....cute baby bumper shots" sez Hoda

 

"I'll drink to that" sez Kathy Lee

 

(to be continued...)

From the way it is going, they will have a day care center.

But hey, lets let personal animosity get in the way of reporting facts!

 

Lauer will work on Today for as long as he wants but I don't think he has the desire to do it for that much longer, even as he just signed that contract. The fear inside 30 Rock is that once he goes, the ratings would slide especially as there still isn't the de facto next person in line. And since the show is doing well in the demo, there isn't this desire to replace Lauer.

 

I also enjoy the revisionist history about Ann Curry. She never was a good fit in the anchor chair on Today and that was obvious to anyone who watched. The ratings started to dip a little bit, they felt the urge to push out Curry and Lauer didn't offer her a life raft. Stelter has never said that Lauer was at fault for pushing Curry out and put the onus on Jim Bell.

Ann Curry is a solid journalist, the problem was that she did not want to do the entertainment aspect of the show. She felt the program could've gone a more serious direction in becoming a more informative morning show then a show that caters towards soft news and entertainment. That was one of her goals which is why she advocated for certain guests to come on her program like the Dali Lama.

Matt Lauer and Ann Curry were apples and oranges with their philosophies, he wanted to do more soft content and she wanted to do more serious news content. Lauer is by no means a serious journalist, he is just an interviewer and he has a very plum job for doing nothing of journalistic standards you can't teach an old dog new tricks. If Curry had a better partner that shared her philosophies like Lester Holt, then most of the NBC serial behind the scenes drama would've been avoided. I fancied a Lester Holt and Ann Curry pairing which should've happened, and what viewers were trying to advocate for before her firing.

That fear of ratings slippage if Lauer leaves is a myth, the program will survive without him. Today show ratings are declining with him still there, within the next couple of years CBS This Morning is slowly going to place a dent on Today's show ratings and they are starting to already. Ratings on both GMA and Today show have declined compared to a couple of years ago. Part of it is due to CBS This Morning's rise.

I tihnk Matt and Savannah have fine chemistry. sure it not like his Chemistry with Katie and Meredith (Nothing can beat the Chemistry he had with them) but it is better then Chemistry with Ann. they have found there Shtick.

 

I tihnk part of Ann problem was she was just not good for that Anchor Chair (I like Ann but she was better as Newsreader) and she didn't do well at playing along with Matt like Katie, Meredith and Savannah. She was't there with a comeback and when she was it usually fell short.

 

By 2011 she built a reputation as a hard news reporter who went out into the field and reported on location.

 

Savannah may have had some issues (They all have) when she first started but she has improve and has come into her own. She always get praise when she doing big breaking news stories.

 

I notice a change after her First Maternity Leave. Maybe there be another after her second.

The thing about Today show is that if you don't play the game or flirt with Matt Lauer, you will never be part of "club". It is well know that morning show like Today is like high school clique and it is part that culture. Today show started shifting more entertainment esque the last year Meredith was there. Today show is no longer a program for the serious journalists, they had serious journalists who hosted before but look at what happened to all of them, they either could not fit in, demoted or left to do new projects.

Savannah Guthrie is someone who got ahead cause what she was, which was a lawyer. Lawyers move around pretty quickly in the news business. They will get a promotion quicker then someone who graduates with a journalism degree. A good portion of pundits, hosts, analysts and reporters are lawyers. If Savannah Guthrie was not a lawyer, she still would have been a journey woman anchor/reporter. Overall, not taking anything away from her, she did build her way up but it was unfortunate that she got the job at the expense of another respected journalist. Curry did not do anything wrong, she was scapegoated out of her job and it was awkward for Savannah to get the job that quickly. The optics was poor taste.

I know it's been mentioned before, but I think the perfect replacement at 6pm would be THE NEWS WITH BRIAN WILLIAMS.

Be serious, nobody wants to watch Brian Williams. When he was demoted it was put in the contract that he can't have a slot where he competes indirectly with Nightly News.

They've likely been pondering this for quite some time already. As it stands now, there probably isn't anyone with NBC News that could.

Because Today show is kiss of death for male anchors that are not Matt Lauer. They have a bad track record of how they mismanaged replacement prospects. The only one that escaped unscathed was Willie Geist.

Lester Holt probably was not considered a "front runner" for a long time, but he was viewers favorite also respected by execs and producers. He was his own man and wanted to protect his reputation as a serious journalist.

Why? He's not that old, and as long as Today keeps bringing in the cash by the boatloads to Comcast, I can see them keeping him around for the next 10 years or so.

 

Hey, at $20 million bucks a year, I wouldn't care working the AM shift, nice vacations, and all them perks that come with the job.

The fact that he has yearly contracts show that NBC does not have much faith in him for a veteran and that he costs to much considering that their ratings have been stagnating. George.S and Robin Roberts have iron clad contracts, so they will likely keep their jobs for another 10 years.