The last week in June Ann Curry signed off as co-anchor of the Today Show. She didn’t leave voluntarily. For the first time in many years, the Today Show no longer has the number one morning show spot. Good Morning America claimed that spot a few weeks ago. The loss of the top spot in a time slot that NBC felt it owned did not sit well with the network’s executives. “Fix the problem!” they ordered.
Huddling in hastily called conferences, Today Show management reviewed the situation and brainstormed what to do. Since Ann was the most recent change in personnel on the program, she was a natural target. “Off with her head!” they proclaimed.
Ann was told that she was done as co-anchor at the end of June and given a ten million dollar severance package. Supposedly she will be back to do some work during the Olympics, which sounds rather odd. NBC expected Ann not to show up for work after this information was released about ten days before the end of the month, but, to her credit, Ann did show up. The last Friday of June she was given a few moments to say a very tearful good-bye, which was painful to watch.
Ann was told that she was done as co-anchor at the end of June and given a ten million dollar severance package. Supposedly she will be back to do some work during the Olympics, which sounds rather odd. NBC expected Ann not to show up for work after this information was released about ten days before the end of the month, but, to her credit, Ann did show up. The last Friday of June she was given a few moments to say a very tearful good-bye, which was painful to watch.
From one viewer’s perspective, I disagree. While I have always liked Ann, I did have a concern about her getting the co-anchor chair. She is a very caring person, which makes her delve deeply into emotional stories. Since the Today Show features a tragedy or two of the day and at least one disease of the day each morning, she had opportunities everyday to give her “Oh, you poor dear” routine.
However, Ann didn’t decide which stories would be covered each morning. That was the choice of the Today Show producers. Through their selections, they set a tone for the show. Increasingly, that tone is a downer. Contrast that with Good Morning America which has a fun, upbeat atmosphere. The anchors are all having fun, laughing, and often showing humorous videos from YouTube. The GMA crew helps me have a good attitude to face the day.
For that reason, I have switched to GMA, and I had been a regular, long-term Today Show viewer.
As is typically the case with sacrificial lambs, dropping Ann as co-anchor will not fix the Today Show’s problems. One person does not make or break a program. A team of people both in front of and behind the camera create and deliver the program. The problem lies deeper than one sacrificial lamb.
Ann actually exposed the show's weakness, which is its downer tone. None of the Today Show cast appears to be having fun. Lauer and Roker have become too stuck in their routine and too arrogant in their attitudes toward viewers. A couple of days ago the GMA cast pulled a viewer from the outside audience who was holding a sign, "Future GMA Anchor," into their circle to help give the weather. All of them had lots of laughs. Contrast that with the interaction of the Today Show's anchors which is limited to an occasional comment from a person in the outside crowd. The cast is too busy moving to the next segment to engage the audience.
If Today Show management had asked viewers what they liked and disliked about the show, the Today Show management would have learned valuable information which could have been used to correct the problem. A further question would concern if the viewers watched GMA and what they liked or disliked about it. Until the Today Show management does that, a few more changes will happen, and, perhaps, a few more heads will roll.
Fixing a loss of customers or viewers starts with finding out from them why they left.
Huddling in hastily called conferences, Today Show management reviewed the situation and brainstormed what to do. Since Ann was the most recent change in personnel on the program, she was a natural target. “Off with her head!” they proclaimed.
Ann was told that she was done as co-anchor at the end of June and given a ten million dollar severance package. Supposedly she will be back to do some work during the Olympics, which sounds rather odd. NBC expected Ann not to show up for work after this information was released about ten days before the end of the month, but, to her credit, Ann did show up. The last Friday of June she was given a few moments to say a very tearful good-bye, which was painful to watch.
Ann was told that she was done as co-anchor at the end of June and given a ten million dollar severance package. Supposedly she will be back to do some work during the Olympics, which sounds rather odd. NBC expected Ann not to show up for work after this information was released about ten days before the end of the month, but, to her credit, Ann did show up. The last Friday of June she was given a few moments to say a very tearful good-bye, which was painful to watch.
From one viewer’s perspective, I disagree. While I have always liked Ann, I did have a concern about her getting the co-anchor chair. She is a very caring person, which makes her delve deeply into emotional stories. Since the Today Show features a tragedy or two of the day and at least one disease of the day each morning, she had opportunities everyday to give her “Oh, you poor dear” routine.
However, Ann didn’t decide which stories would be covered each morning. That was the choice of the Today Show producers. Through their selections, they set a tone for the show. Increasingly, that tone is a downer. Contrast that with Good Morning America which has a fun, upbeat atmosphere. The anchors are all having fun, laughing, and often showing humorous videos from YouTube. The GMA crew helps me have a good attitude to face the day.
For that reason, I have switched to GMA, and I had been a regular, long-term Today Show viewer.
As is typically the case with sacrificial lambs, dropping Ann as co-anchor will not fix the Today Show’s problems. One person does not make or break a program. A team of people both in front of and behind the camera create and deliver the program. The problem lies deeper than one sacrificial lamb.
Ann actually exposed the show's weakness, which is its downer tone. None of the Today Show cast appears to be having fun. Lauer and Roker have become too stuck in their routine and too arrogant in their attitudes toward viewers. A couple of days ago the GMA cast pulled a viewer from the outside audience who was holding a sign, "Future GMA Anchor," into their circle to help give the weather. All of them had lots of laughs. Contrast that with the interaction of the Today Show's anchors which is limited to an occasional comment from a person in the outside crowd. The cast is too busy moving to the next segment to engage the audience.
If Today Show management had asked viewers what they liked and disliked about the show, the Today Show management would have learned valuable information which could have been used to correct the problem. A further question would concern if the viewers watched GMA and what they liked or disliked about it. Until the Today Show management does that, a few more changes will happen, and, perhaps, a few more heads will roll.
Fixing a loss of customers or viewers starts with finding out from them why they left.
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