NEW YORK — The “Today” show’s top producer on Wednesday defended Matt Lauer against stories that have portrayed the anchor as difficult to deal with during the show’s slide in the ratings.
The longtime morning champ has slipped behind ABC’s “Good Morning America” in the ratings over recent months, after more than 15 years of being the unquestioned leader in the morning. The new ratings order has solidified since Ann Curry’s tearful exit as Lauer’s co-host in June.
“Matt has been the heart and soul of the show for a long, long time, and any of the stuff out that has portrayed him in an unflattering light as being difficult to work with is patently false and it’s been tough to deal with,” said Jim Bell, “Today” executive producer.
One tabloid report last week described Lauer as an “anchor animal” who berates the staff and inserts himself into show decisions, which Bell described as “patently false.” He also denied an online report that Lauer would be asked to take a pay cut if the show’s ratings don’t improve. “Today” has also consistently shot down stories that Lauer played a behind-the-scenes role in (Tucson native) Savannah Guthrie’s replacement of Curry.
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Asked if viewers were taking Curry’s dismissal out on “Today,” Bell said that “it’s more complex than that.”
“Any time there is a change, especially in the morning, it takes a while for people to process that change and we’re still going through that,” Bell said. “That’s OK. We understand. We get it. We love our team and we really feel positive about the show we are doing and we are taking the long view here.”
