NBC has been struggling with the ratings decline of its morning program, "Today," since the firing of Ann Curry.
Eric Deggans, media critic for the Tampa Bay Times, said "city block-sized aircraft carriers have made smoother turns than NBC's Today show."
Deggans said one of the problems with the show is that the Olympics didn't save ratings.
"That tactic didn't work for long this year, and now that GMA has momentum, NBC needs more than stunts such as the long-gone 'Where in the World is Matt Lauer?' bit to bring back fans," Deggans wrote.
Deggans also said that once Curry was fired, "GMA was ready."
"Ratings between the two programs began to narrow after Curry took over as top female co-anchor last year, just as GMA was assembling a team viewers seemed to like" wrote Deggans. "And as tragic as GMA co-anchor Robin Roberts' struggle with cancer and bone marrow transplant has been, her health issues have been covered extensively by the show, sparking interest and sympathy from viewers."
"Maybe if they actually LISTENED to their viewers, some of the vitriol would have died down by now!" the administrator wrote. "Each time they try to spin it, things just get worse!"
The Daily Beast's Howard Kurtz said despite the backlash, Lauer isn't going anywhere.
"If Lauer got the credit for the decade and a half on top, obviously he has to shoulder some of the blame for the decline," Kurtz wrote. "Today has always promoted itself as a family, which made the shabby treatment of Curry all the more off-putting to viewers. Savannah Guthrie is a smart and talented replacement, but it's awfully hard to step into that kind of volatile situation."
Kurtz said Lauer has the same broadcasting skills he had before Today slipped from the top spot.
"But in this Thanksgiving season, his detractors are enjoying kicking the stuffing out of him," Kurtz said.
© 2025 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
