The drama surrounding the Today Show and Ann Curry‘s unceremonious departure from the daytime TV show simply will not die down.
Earlier this week, New York Magazine published a long expose of the situation at the Today Show leading up to Curry’s firing and the aftermath. While Matt Lauer was courting ABC as a contract negotiation technique, Curry was fighting for her anchor position.
After Curry’s tearful goodbye, the Today Show tanked in the ratings. The show was overtaken by Good Morning America, which was enthralling viewers with coverage of anchor Robin Robert’s battle with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).
It seems that NBC executives worried about the impact Curry could have on daytime TV ratings even weeks after she left the show. The New York magazine report states that when Roberts left Good Morning America, Curry wanted to tweet her a “note of sympathy.” The idea was shot down by NBC.
It’s unfortunate that Curry felt she needed to clear a heartfelt tweet with the public relations department at NBC. However, the incident is a rare look inside the carefully controlled battleground that TV networks call morning news programs.
