Josh Elliott to Depart ABC News for NBC Sports, Amy Robach Promoted To GMA's News Anchor

[BehindNYNews 147]

If they want to add more male presence, they could add another main anchor, alla Charlie, Diane and Robin. Just a thought...

[A3N 1002]

 

I'm sure his agents are quite smart -- I just don't think they particularly cared about the motivation for the move. Remember that because they probably are paid a percent of his salary, they have an incentive to find him the highest paying job.

 

The issue is not short term, it's in the long term that should have been of concern to his agents. As has been previously pointed out, Josh was really next in-line to replace George. While he will get more money now, he will not have the same opportunity for exposure and promotion at NBC versus ABC. Plus, like I mentioned before, all the reports out there had Josh getting a nice payday. They blew that for what? an extra 2 or 3 million? in the long run, he will lose more money.

[BehindNYNews 147]

Sherwood intends to add another man to the morning show's mix as early as this week, something hinted at in his memo about Elliott.

http://money.cnn.com/2014/03/31/news/companies/josh-elliott-leaves-gma/index.html

 

Now Josh may not even be coming back for a formal goodbye. That's definitely the vibe I got this morning too.

[mountainave 606]

 

If they want to add more male presence, they could add another main anchor, alla Charlie, Diane and Robin. Just a thought...

 

Robin wasn't a main anchor with Charlie and Diane. She was the news anchor.

[BehindNYNews 147]

Robin wasn't a main anchor with Charlie and Diane. She was the news anchor.

She was practically a main anchor, at least to the viewers.

[MorningNews 1455]

Actually Robin's official title was co-anchor with Charlie and Diane in 2005. She still read the news but her title was "co-anchor". As BehindNYNews pointed out, Sheerwood is said to be announcing a male anchor for the show this week.

[MorningNews 1455]

They made it seem that Josh wouldn't be back in person on the show by the way they were talking about him this morning but Lara did mention a goodbye tape that they would air later this week. Reading through his tweets it doesn't seem that he is truly happy about this decision, it seems as though he himself is in shock that he's gone.

[BehindNYNews 147]

 

Actually Robin's official title was co-anchor with Charlie and Diane in 2005. She still read the news but her title was "co-anchor". As BehindNYNews pointed out, Sheerwood is said to be announcing a male anchor for the show this week.

 

If they go in house, my guesses are: Dan Harris, Dan Abrams, Gio Benitez or Ryan Smith. I could also see stealing Willie Geist as a possible option.

[MorningNews 1455]

Ryan Smith hopefully, Willie would be good but he's next in line to replace Matt so I doubt he's leaving. But I wonder what role they would play? Maybe George's role in the last hour will be a bit more diminished and open up some room for someone else in the 2nd hour but then again that is the same problem of one male.

[Glimmer 282]

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/abcs-josh-elliott-taking-pay-692407

 

This situation keeps getting more acrimonious/dubious.

[Rio Janeiro 0]

I think that both Josh Elliott and Sam Champion had a "no compete" clause in their contracts. They can't directly compete with GMA for a period after they leave (six months?) Like Conan. So NBC signs up Champion and burries him on their weather channel until the period elapses and Josh goes to NBC Sports until the period elapses and they then both immediately and directly (do not pass go) have solid spots on The Today Show as soon as the "no compete" period ends.

 

If Josh Eliott has the ambition and thinks he has the ability, Lauer's contract is up sooner than George's and therefore he has a quicker shot at Main Anchor than he had before.

 

yah know?

[BehindNYNews 147]

 

I think that both Josh Elliott and Sam Champion had a "no compete" clause in their contracts. They can't directly compete with GMA for a period after they leave (six months?) Like Conan. So NBC signs up Champion and burries him on their weather channel until the period elapses and Josh goes to NBC Sports until the period elapses and they then both emmediatly and directly (do not pass go) have solid spots on The Today Show as soon as the "no compete" period ends.

 

If Josh Eliott has the ambition and thinks he has the ability, Lauer's contract is up sooner that George's and therefore he has a quicker shot at Main Anchor than he had before.

 

yah know?

 

Sam just started his show, he is not going anywhere, anytime soon.

[MorningNews 1455]

I think that both Josh Elliott and Sam Champion had a "no compete" clause in their contracts. They can't directly compete with GMA for a period after they leave (six months?) Like Conan. So NBC signs up Champion and burries him on their weather channel until the period elapses and Josh goes to NBC Sports until the period elapses and they then both emmediatly and directly (do not pass go) have solid spots on The Today Show as soon as the "no compete" period ends.

 

If Josh Eliott has the ambition and thinks he has the ability, Lauer's contract is up sooner that George's and therefore he has a quicker shot at Main Anchor than he had before.

 

yah know?

What was the point in Sam leaving the weather anchor spot on GMA for a weather anchor role on Today? Doubt that. The possibility of that happening with Josh sounds a little more plausible but I don't see him getting Matt's spot. He doesn't carry the same cool calmness that Willie or Lester do.

[jmkcool2002 8]

Here's my view on how

@JoshElliottABC's move impacts "GMA" and "Today" http://jmanmediazone.blogspot.com/2014/03/josh-elliotts-move-changes-television.html

[Rio Janeiro 0]

Sam Champion is probably the most valued commodity to any national network that wants to embrace diversity (and they all do) . NBC can't wait for that "no compete" clause to end.

 

 

Yah Know?

[BehindNYNews 147]

 

Sam Champion is probably the most valued commodity to any national network that wants to embrace diversity (and they all do) . NBC can't wait for that "no compete" clause to end.

 

Sam will appear on Today every once in a while, he already has, but he will not be a member of the team.

[mountainave 606]

 

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/abcs-josh-elliott-taking-pay-692407

 

This situation keeps getting more acrimonious/dubious.

 

Wow. I assumed (as most probably did) that NBC offered more $$$.

[jmkcool2002 8]

To everyone who says this is a bad deal, I disagree. He won't be working as much and he's moving from the #1 morning show to #1 primetime show. Also, I highly doubt Elliott returns to say goodbye. He's potentially Costas's and Lauer's heir apparents.

[Rio Janeiro 0]

He he, I hadn't thought of that jmcool, should Dan Patrick be worried?

 

 

Yah know?

[BehindNYNews 147]

I think this article has rather good analysis.

 

http://ftvlive.com/todays-news/2014/3/31/nbc-tries-to-dismantle-gma

[Rusty Muck 4378]

6) NBC is an asshole for doing so and deserves "karma" for their actions (namely in the form of ABC stealing away some key NBC personalities)

This reminds me of when Universal "sold" the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit back over to Disney... so that Al Michaels could be released from his ABC/ESPN contract and join NBC.

 

Are there any other cartoon characters Walt Disney created that Universal can still sell back? Or would a Ub Iwerks creation be acceptable instead?

 

They used to call WKYC a farm team for NBC; now it looks like ABC is a farm team for NBC.

Heh.

 

ABC's roots date back to the original NBC Blue radio network, so I guess the circle is finally complete.

[Rio Janeiro 0]

Howard Stern took a boatload of money and is set for life and no one hears him. Carlos Amezcua took a lot of money and his TV news career faded, Conan O'Brien bathes in the money he was paid - No one sees his show.

 

Bob Banfield stayed with KABC for 43 years, he was happy, he made people happy and he became a legend.

 

Sam Champion is a very smart man. I am sure he embraces his "show" and will do his best. It's the Weather Channel. I dislike to diminish hundreds of hard working people at the Weather Channel, but this is not Sam Champion's destiny.

 

He is not going to fade away like Howard Stern, Carlos and Conan.

 

And staying with the thread neither will Josh.

 

 

Yah Know?

[jtgh922 18]

If anyone thinks that Josh left ABC for anything less than a guarantee that he'd have a place on Today in the future, whether that's replacing Matt Lauer when he leaves or Willie Geist when he replaces Matt, you're crazy. Josh had to be given something in his contract that promised him more then playing 2nd fiddle to Costas, Patrick, and Michaels, among others. And for the record, didn't Sam Champion appear on Today to show off his new NBC ID like a week after he left ABC? "Appearing" on another network's show for a length of time is clearly a term that is used loosely. NBC can find a clever way around that.

[MorningNews 1455]

Josh and Sam very well could join Today as anchor and weather anchor replacing Matt Lauer and Al Roker. That's why GMA needs to build and stronger and better team right now that prevents viewers from craving their Josh and Sam fix. In my opinion I think that Sam was more valuable to the show than Josh and they survived that transition smoothly. The complaint doesn't seem to be so much that Josh has left but that this balance of the show is too loop sided so ABC has to get this new male addition perfectly right! As far as how smart Josh was for leaving, I don't think he was. He made a play for money and his pride, not truly protecting his future.

[MorningNews 1455]

I don't remember hearing anything about Sam being prohibited from appearing on Today, not sure where that came from. And it has to be Matt's position if that is true because why would he leave GMA where was going to quickly become the main anchor to join nbc's show and become second fiddle to Willie eventually.

 

 

If anyone thinks that Josh left ABC for anything less than a guarantee that he'd have a place on Today in the future, whether that's replacing Matt Lauer when he leaves or Willie Geist when he replaces Matt, you're crazy. Josh had to be given something in his contract that promised him more then playing 2nd fiddle to Costas, Patrick, and Michaels, among others. And for the record, didn't Sam Champion appear on Today to show off his new NBC ID like a week after he left ABC? "Appearing" on another network's show for a length of time is clearly a term that is used loosely. NBC can find a clever way around that.