NBC Is Said to Offer Lauer’s Job to Cooper
Earlier this month an NBC executive contacted Anderson Cooper with a question that would flatter and intrigue just about anyone. Would Mr. Cooper, the biggest star of CNN, consider replacing Matt Lauer on the “Today” show in the months to come?
Mr. Cooper may have told NBC he was not interested. Nonetheless, the entreaty indicates that NBC executives are actively talking about a succession plan for Mr. Lauer, whose future on “Today” has been the source of widespread speculation in recent months. Mr. Lauer, a star of the “Today” show for the better part of two decades, signed a contract last year — believed to pay him $25 million a year — that keeps him at the network at least through the end of 2014.
But the recent outreach to Mr. Cooper, described by people on condition of anonymity, suggests that NBC might remove Mr. Lauer from his co-host chair before then, or that Mr. Lauer might ask to be replaced.
The call from NBC was first reported Tuesday night by Deadline.com. It was so surprising that some television industry executives thought the story was untrue, chalking it up to troublemaking by agents or rival networks. But three people with knowledge of the call confirmed that it happened, and said they too were taken aback by it. The people insisted on anonymity because the call was considered confidential.
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Mr. Cooper’s contract at CNN expires this fall. In some ways he’s a logical choice for “Today”; he is in his mid-40s and he has demonstrated that he can juggle hard news interviews with the fun and games that morning TV shows serve up. His presence on “Today” might spur former viewers to give the show another chance. “Today” has fallen about 20 percent in the ratings since Ann Curry was removed from the co-host chair next to Mr. Lauer last summer.
full: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/28/business/media/nbc-is-said-to-offer-lauers-job-to-cooper.html?pagewanted=all
Last year, CBS made a good hire for its revival of CBS This Morning in Charlie Rose.
Cooper is one of the last good people in commercial media. He made the DU greatest for his coverage of the Steubenville rape verdict. Watch the video here; Cooper doesn't hold back his emotions in that segment, as you can see he is choking back tears as he discusses the plight of the victim (unlike his bigoted co worker Poppy Harlow who'll be best remembered for her misguided sympathy to the rapists).
Matt Lauer on the other hand? Remember when he asked Anne Hathaway straight to her face about paparazzi upskirt photos?
HOWEVER, reading the NYT comments section, Cooper will most likely sell himself out because the Today show is pretty much infotainment. Last time I watched the Today show regularly was back in 2008 or 09, and it spent only the first 20 minutes or so on the news the rest on non-serious stuff.
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