Today Show viewers!

[A3N 996]

If you believe the published reports out there, Comcast/NBC brass offered Meredith a good sum of money to return to Today after Ann Curry left, but she turned it down. Why? who knows, but there were rumors ranging from shift schedule to her not getting along with Matt. At this point, its all speculation but it is telling that she left the show in the first place. I've always thought that Meredith would be a good replacement for Barbara Walters on The View if and when she decides to retire. Without seeing what format Meredith's talk show will go with, its kind of hard right now to see it lasting more than a few years. Don't get me wrong, I think that Meredith is a great journalist, but not everyone can regain those Oprah like numbers/audience.

[MorningNews 1293]

If you believe the published reports out there, Comcast/NBC brass offered Meredith a good sum of money to return to Today after Ann Curry left, but she turned it down. Why? who knows, but there were rumors ranging from shift schedule to her not getting along with Matt. At this point, its all speculation but it is telling that she left the show in the first place. I've always thought that Meredith would be a good replacement for Barbara Walters on The View if and when she decides to retire. Without seeing what format Meredith's talk show will go with, its kind of hard right now to see it lasting more than a few years. Don't get me wrong, I think that Meredith is a great journalist, but not everyone can regain those Oprah like numbers/audience.

Didn't she state why she was leaving on her last day? I thought it had something to do with the work hours and wanting to have more time off with her husband and quickly growing kids.

[A3N 996]

Didn't she state why she was leaving on her last day? I thought it had something to do with the work hours and wanting to have more time off with her husband and quickly growing kids.

Isn't that the cookie cutter answer that most anchors give for leaving? And it very well may be true, but given what has happened at Today with Matt Lauer, really makes you re-think her real reason for leaving.

[MorningNews 1293]

Isn't that the cookie cutter answer that most anchors give for leaving? And it very well may be true, but given what has happened at Today with Matt Lauer, really makes you re-think her real reason for leaving.

True. But for Meredith I believe it was a genuine factor in her reasons for leaving. I remember hearing on The View that she had some hesitations about taking the position back in 06 but couldn't pass up the chance to be apart of Today. I personally feel that Today needs a huge overhaul! Matt, Savannah, Natalie and Al are not at all good together. Still bummed that Ann was let go because I felt that she would have been great paired up with Lester from weekend Today.

[MorningNews 1293]

Not mention the fact that Matt and Al have both been there for 16 years +. It's time for new faces. Lester/Hoda would be a good team. Any possibility that David Gregory would leave MTP for Today? David seems like a natural when I've seen him fill in.

[TennTV1983 743]

Not mention the fact that Matt and Al have both been there for 16 years +. It's time for new faces. Lester/Hoda would be a good team. Any possibility that David Gregory would leave MTP for Today? David seems like a natural when I've seen him fill in.

But who would do Meet the Press in David Gregory's place if that happened? Right now, I can't think of too many names.

[News 9 Viewer 100]

Not mention the fact that Matt and Al have both been there for 16 years +. It's time for new faces. Lester/Hoda would be a good team. Any possibility that David Gregory would leave MTP for Today? David seems like a natural when I've seen him fill in.

Who says Gregory would have to leave MTP? Bob Schieffer did both Face the Nation and the Evening News for parts of two years at a much older age. The last thing MTP needs is an moderator change and perhaps trigger the moderator roulette that preceded Russert's tenure.

[24994J 5276]

Who says Gregory would have to leave MTP? Bob Schieffer did both Face the Nation and the Evening News for parts of two years at a much older age. The last thing MTP needs is an moderator change and perhaps trigger the moderator roulette that preceded Russert's tenure.

Stephanopoulos.

[MorningNews 1293]

George Stephanopoulos does it for ABC. But David would eventually have to give up MTP and I don't think NBC wants to deal with that much shuffling. So maybe no to David but he's a good fit.

[TVNewsLover 728]

Brokaw could do MTP if Gregory were to move to Today.

 

As for the changes mentioned, I don't see Today moving away from the four person format from 7-9. They will continue to have a two main anchors (likely male and female), weather person, and news anchor. I could see them adding an entertainment person like Lara on GMA. You can condense the first three hours of programming into two hours, and have Kathie Lee and Hoda at 9am.

 

No way I see NBC making huge changes as having different faces each hour. That will make ratings plummet further.

[mark 55]

As for the changes mentioned, I don't see Today moving away from the four person format from 7-9. They will continue to have a two main anchors (likely male and female), weather person, and news anchor. I could see them adding an entertainment person like Lara on GMA. You can condense the first three hours of programming into two hours, and have Kathie Lee and Hoda at 9am.

 

No way I see NBC making huge changes as having different faces each hour. That will make ratings plummet further.

^^This.

[Action Newsroom 1151]

This is how I would format the show:

 

The first hour, as others have proposed, would be one focused on hard news. The only talent appearing during this segment would be Matt Lauer in his new role as news anchor. It would be difficult for him to accept this change in assignment, but I've always felt if he were to become newsreader viewers would take him more seriously (I know I would). I would later make him a national correspondent and ask Brian Williams to consider adding him to the Rock Center team.

 

The second hour, as others have also proposed, would feature lighter fare. Savannah Guthrie and Natalie Morales would anchor this hour with Al Roker providing weather reports and Lauer providing news updates. Willie Geist would replace Lester Holt on the weekend editions of Today, allowing Holt to focus on hard news and continue making his case for eventually succeeding Brian Williams as the face of NBC News.

 

The third and fourth hours would be become a Live with Kelly and Michael type show titled Today Presents KLG and Hoda featuring the titular hosts. This segment would be reduced to one hour if and when Meredith Vieira's new show debuts. The 10 o'clock hour would be returned to affiliates but O&Os would carry Vieira's show in the timeslot and other affiliates would be urged to do the same.

 

New to the forums, btw.

Welcome to the TVNewsTalk family.

[News 9 Viewer 100]

Brokaw could do MTP if Gregory were to move to Today.

 

As for the changes mentioned, I don't see Today moving away from the four person format from 7-9. They will continue to have a two main anchors (likely male and female), weather person, and news anchor. I could see them adding an entertainment person like Lara on GMA. You can condense the first three hours of programming into two hours, and have Kathie Lee and Hoda at 9am.

 

No way I see NBC making huge changes as having different faces each hour. That will make ratings plummet further.

They probably won't, but major changes are what's needed for this sinking ship of a program. I would rather tinker with a struggling program than do nothing. Then if the show declines further, I can at least say that I tried something to turn things around.

[wabceyewitness 767]

Sounds like TODAY has new headlines music and, for the first time since 1985, has new opening music. The music sounds like a different version of the cut they use for TODAY's election edititions and the 60th Anniversary show.

[thetvworld 0]

Why change everything once at a time, maybe next week we will get a new set (Here's Hopping)

Not sure what to think of the new theme, it's sounds hit & miss and cheap

[wabceyewitness 767]

Why change everything once at a time, maybe next week we will get a new set (Here's Hopping)

Not sure what to think of the new theme, it's sounds hit & miss and cheap

 

Their thinking might be it's better to phase in the changes.. especially for the music which has been part of the show for close to 20 years.

[24994J 5276]

I'll be honest, I kinda like it. It has a strong connection to the old theme (including the main signature), bigger and more "robust", but nothing that we can't adjust to. My big gripe, the main open could use the NBC chimes at the 45 second mark. (I'd embed the video if I could, but alas I could not.)

 

Video below...

[sfomspphl 453]

Generic opening music. Why mess with the most identifiable call to the screen the show had...

 

Morning TV is more dependent on sonic image than any other daypart because of the 'getting ready for the day' distractions.

 

Thumbs down.

 

When they first moved to the street studio in '94 they tried going without Scherzo for a few months. And I think sometime a few years ago something similar, but more brief.

 

Let's hope this experiment ends soon.

[24994J 5276]

[emmi_18 33]

I'm not feeling it... I'll admit that the news themes during the morning does have a tendency to be a bit more lighter, a bit less authoritative. Pre-1985 Today theme was lighter... 1985 to last week Today theme had authority in it... for me, this current one tried to mix the two together that seems off to me. But it might grow on me though with time.

[cbs2worksforyou 35]

I agree, the NBC chime around the :45 mark would fit. Interestingly enough, in the early 2000s, TODAY had a frequently used bumper that sounded similar to this (including chime).

 

I'll be honest' date=' I kinda like it. It has a strong connection to the old theme (including the main signature), bigger and more "robust", but nothing that we can't adjust to. My big gripe, the main open could use the NBC chimes at the [b']45 second mark[/b]. (I'd embed the video if I could, but alas I could not.)

 

Video below...

[TVNewsWatcher 6]

Sidebar. A little off topic but Matt is finally speaking on the whole Ann situation and he blames the network. Check it out Here.

[News 9 Viewer 100]

Their thinking might be it's better to phase in the changes.. especially for the music which has been part of the show for close to 20 years.

I don't think adding new graphical elements in phases as they're doing is a good idea. The colorful new L3s make the ticker look flat and out of place.

 

Speaking of L3s, I think they all should be colored like the ones they've been using for papal coverage. The regular L3's they're currently using are too dark and too similar in color.

 

As for the new theme, I think the signature has become far too light. I also agree that the addition of the NBC chimes :45 in would be a good idea.

[jtgh922 18]

To be honest, I was a little shocked at first, maybe even a little taken aback by the theme at first. After listening to it a few times, It's actually grown on me. Clearly they are trying to take a more serious tone with this one. And yes the beginning does sound like the elecetion theme from 2012.

[jtgh922 18]

And in response to the poster above, the previous theme has been around in some form since 1985, so its 27 years old. How many nes programs do you know that have had the same music for almost 30 years? It was past time for a change. Hope a new set is next. Hopefully a return to the 80s skyline background/living room set, aka "Bryant's apartment!"