Say it ain’t so. Now Matt Lauer

[jdb in AZ]

If I had got to choose my dream team for Today it would Lester and Hoda. Brian Williams back the evening news and Jenna with Kathie Lee. Savannah who cares.

I really liked Brian Williams, but he was caught stretching the truth, and the media already has enough of a problem with credibility.

Too bad we can't get rid of lying politicians, especially the sexual predators, as quickly as media types.

 

[RangerPooh]

I just read an article on Yahoo (take it for what it's worth) which said that "...Elizabeth Wagmeister of Variety, Yashar Ali of HuffPost and the New York Times were all reportedly working on exposés that would've ultimately shed light on the former "Today" anchor's past." A news outlet that I watched this morning mentioned that the report stemmed from a 2013/2014 event, which by a pp account might be the Sochi Winter Olympics. Although the Yahoo story lists the 2016 Rio Games. I'm sensing a pattern here.

As for hosts, please do not make it Megyn Kelly or Carson Daily.

 

[jaiminee krikit]

Today is the only morning show I will watch, but I don’t watch all the time. The first thing to pop up on my FB today was a friend sharing the news. I was a little surprised, but not bothered.

They say it was inappropriate sexual behavior. It doesn’t say anything about sexual harassment. I’m guessing he was having a sexual relationship that he wasn’t supposed to be having. I’ve had jobs where supervisors are not to have any kind of relationships with people they supervise, not even a friendship. I saw several people terminated because they got caught. Just a guess.

I just hope they don’t replace him with with Megyn Kelly. I won’t watch it if they do. I’ll still tune in to see Hoda though.

 

[nkereina]

Although the Yahoo story lists the 2016 Rio Games

I noticed that TMZ was first reporting an incident in Rio but they have since changed that to Sochi. So it could be both, or just an error.

 

[VandVsmama]

This is what I was coming here to post! I stopped watching Today a little over a year ago because of Lauer’s very obvious disrespect of a certain woman in a “interview”. I am overjoyed that he got what he deserved and I can watch Today again.

Yeah, he was definitely a jerk already way before this latest news came out about him.

 

[StitchesGr8Fan]

This shocked me, but it sounds like I’m in the minority. I love Today, although I’m neutral on Matt Lauer. I hope they promote Willie.

 

[cabanafrau]

It occurred to me that we're not all that far out from the Olympics and the network will no doubt be in a real scramble to figure out how they're going to cover all the bases with one of their major players off the field permanently. It's a pretty safe bet they had some Today interviews already filmed that won't air, but there may be Olympic features filmed or prepped that will be scrapped or reworked as well. It will be interesting watching them figure out who covers what and who they can bring in. I'd like to see them bring back Tamron Hall for one.

I feel bad for Lauer's kids. I think they're actually old enough to pretty clearly understand what's happened, which will probably be very tough for them.

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

Never liked Matt, don't care for Savanah, did not like how Ann Curry was treated, but was not a huge fan of her either. All that said it is still the only morning/news show I can watch. I have no idea why, I thinks it's the intro.

 

[nkereina]

I feel bad for Lauer's kids. I think they're actually old enough to pretty clearly understand what's happened, which will probably be very tough for them.

Yes! I thought of this as well. To my knowledge, Lauer has a wife and teenage/pre-teen kids that will no doubt hear about this. I wonder how his marriage will end up too.

I think tonight is the Rockefeller tree lighting ceremony. Isn't that usually hosted by Matt and Savannah? Is that live or pre-recorded?

 

[Straitlover]

I think tonight is the Rockefeller tree lighting ceremony. Isn't that usually hosted by Matt and Savannah? Is that live or pre-recorded?

No, I believe Al is the host for that. I think they are all there for the actual lighting, though.

 

[penn19]

Ann Curry must be having a nice morning........

What scares me is, will Megan Kelly be his replacement??

Hoping they move Carson Daly up.

I don’t really watch the Today Show anymore (maybe once a week on my day off) but I hope Megyn Kelly gets shown the door. She’s awful. My opinion anyway.

 

[penn19]

I'd heard the rumors as well so wasn't shocked about the allegations, more about the swift action the network took to remove him.



Not to go too far off-topic, but my husband well knows not to harass women; however, I do worry about him (and my sons) being accused of something like this. In today's world, even if these men are innocent, many are being convicted in the court of public opinion.

And just like that they could be gone from their job.
I’d like to think my husband knows better but honestly, I’m not at work with him during the day. I have no clue what he’s doing. I just have to assume he’s not doing anything wrong.

 

[RedAngie]

I think tonight is the Rockefeller tree lighting ceremony. Isn't that usually hosted by Matt and Savannah? Is that live or pre-recorded?

Mostly live (Eastern and Central time zones) but some musical performances are pre-recorded.

An article I read earlier said Matt was scheduled to be there, but NBC won't be replacing him with anybody else. Al Roker, Savannah, and Hoda will co-host.

 

[ibob52]

a workplace should have some *zero tolerance* rules/conditions .. I know mine did.

 

[Lynne M]

I just read an article on Yahoo (take it for what it's worth) which said that "...Elizabeth Wagmeister of Variety, Yashar Ali of HuffPost and the New York Times were all reportedly working on exposés that would've ultimately shed light on the former "Today" anchor's past." A news outlet that I watched this morning mentioned that the report stemmed from a 2013/2014 event, which by a pp account might be the Sochi Winter Olympics. Although the Yahoo story lists the 2016 Rio Games. I'm sensing a pattern here.

As for hosts, please do not make it Megyn Kelly or Carson Daily.

The Variety article has dropped. I won't post the link here because of some non-DIS-appropriate content, but it's easy enough to find. Not just one incident, and multiple complaints to top management, most of which were ignored. Yet another case of a well-known, much-talked-about pattern of behavior, and nothing done about it for years. The ratings were high, so it all got swept under the rug.

 

[Sabeking]

I just read an article on Yahoo (take it for what it's worth) which said that "...Elizabeth Wagmeister of Variety, Yashar Ali of HuffPost and the New York Times were all reportedly working on exposés that would've ultimately shed light on the former "Today" anchor's past." A news outlet that I watched this morning mentioned that the report stemmed from a 2013/2014 event, which by a pp account might be the Sochi Winter Olympics. Although the Yahoo story lists the 2016 Rio Games. I'm sensing a pattern here.

As for hosts, please do not make it Megyn Kelly or Carson Daily.

I have never been a fan of Matt Lauer but that is beside the point. If that is true about the articles I am not surprised that they fired him at all;maybe not so much for moral reasons but because money talks. It is all about perception, ratings...etc...

 

[Sabeking]

The Variety article has dropped. I won't post the link here because of some non-DIS-appropriate content, but it's easy enough to find. Not just one incident, and multiple complaints to top management, most of which were ignored. Yet another case of a well-known, much-talked-about pattern of behavior, and nothing done about it for years. The ratings were high, so it all got swept under the rug.[/QUOTE

I was typing at the same time as you. It's all about the ratings!!

 

[Imzadi]

I am surprised by NBC's swift reaction.

Not at all surprised he got fired for being a creep, but I'm very surprised at how sudden it is - no paid leave or sabbatical during an investigation, just immediate severance.

TMZ reporting the alleged incident happened at The Sochi Olympics.
They also have a clip where Katie Couric says(while playing a game with Andy on Watch what Happens Live) he had a bad habit of pinching her on the .......

NBC might not have had to investigate much. After Charlie Rose went down so quickly (at CBS & PBS-TV,) over a weekend, also without seemingly an investigation, TMZ Live dissected how it seemed to have gone down. In Charlie Rose's case, the network heads simply asked him if he had done it. He admitted it. He said he didn't think he had done anything wrong, that, "I always felt that I was pursuing shared feelings." So once he admitted it, end of investigation.

So NBC may have off-the-air film footage of Lauer acting inappropriately and/or with Katie Couric having complained in the past on air, or he admitted it when asked, so they also didn't need much of an investigation.

 

[Imzadi]

I really liked Brian Williams, but he was caught stretching the truth, and the media already has enough of a problem with credibility.

Stretching the truth seems like such small potatoes compared to all of this going on now.

 

[NYCgrrl]

NBC might not have had to investigate much. After Charlie Rose went down so quickly (at CBS & PBS-TV,) over a weekend, also without seemingly an investigation, TMZ Live dissected how it seemed to have gone down. In Charlie Rose's case, the network heads simply asked him if he had done it. He admitted it. He said he didn't think he had done anything wrong, that, "I always felt that I was pursuing shared feelings." So once he admitted it, end of investigation.

So NBC may have off-the-air film footage of Lauer acting inappropriately and/or with Katie Couric having complained in the past on air, or he admitted it when asked, so they also didn't need much of an investigation.

As well if the complainant had email/text or other types of communiques.
I find the wording most companies use odd but suspect it has something to do with legalities/liabilities. Keep in mind by saying they are continuing to investigate they are signaling their employees, market analysts and stockholders the ball is not being dropped with one firing.