The top dog at NBC News came to Matt Lauer’s defense, saying the big-money host doesn’t deserve blame for “Today’s” ratings collapse.
Lauer has become a prime fan target in light of “Good Morning America’s” resurgence to No. 1 and the wildly unpopular dumping of short-lived “Today” host Ann Curry this past summer.
NBC News President Steve Capus blamed Twitter for the sudden unpopularity of his $25-million-a-year talking head.
“Sadly,” Capus told The Daily Beast, “this is the era in which we live: Venomous tweets somehow threaten to drown out all of those who praised Matt for his coverage.”
“The Twitter snarkiness is an unfortunate result of misdirected anger that’s been unfairly placed on Matt,” Capus added. “There has also been a lot of mean-spirited piling-on, which has been manufactured by many anonymous sources.”
The Peacock took a PR beating when it suddenly dumped the well-liked Curry in June after just one year in the coveted morning chair.
Lauer has been the focal point of post-Curry backlash, which Capus said he doesn’t deserve.
“Matt had nothing to do with Ann’s reassignment,” Capus said. “He does not make those types of decisions. There has been an incredible amount of misplaced blame on Matt.”
While Capus insisted his embattled host had no role in Curry’s ouster, another 30 Rock suit conceded that Lauer apparently lobbied for Currey’s more-gradual removal.
“The whole Ann transition really hurt us,” the unnamed NBC suit said.
“[Lauer] was one of the few people who fought to do the transition in a different way—to take our time with it and not do it so rushed right before the Olympics. He wanted to do right by her, and we really didn’t.”