Editing Today (American TV program) (section)

===Curry to Guthrie===
NBC revealed on June 28, 2012, that [[Ann Curry]] would no longer co-host ''Today'', and would continue to work for NBC News (where she remained until her departure in January 2015), including continuing to appear on ''Today''. Curry's title was changed to "Today Anchor at Large and NBC News National & International Correspondent," with responsibilities including leading a seven-person unit producing content for ''NBC Nightly News'', ''[[Dateline NBC]]'', ''[[Rock Center with Brian Williams]]'' and ''Today'', with occasional anchor duties for ''Nightly News''. Curry also reported for NBC's coverage of the [[2012 Summer Olympics]] in London. On July 9, 2012, [[Savannah Guthrie]] succeeded Curry as co-anchor alongside Lauer, Roker and Morales.<ref>{{cite web |title=Savannah Guthrie named co-anchor of Today |url=http://allday.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/29/12477406-savannah-guthrie-named-co-anchor-of-today?lite |work=allDAY |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120629180122/http://allday.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/29/12477406-savannah-guthrie-named-co-anchor-of-today?lite |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 29, 2012 |access-date=June 29, 2012}}</ref>

Ann Curry's final show as co-anchor was subdued compared to the earlier departures of Katie Couric and Meredith Vieira, as it did not include retrospectives of Curry's 15-year run on the program or goodbye to messages from colleagues and celebrities, although Curry – seated alongside Lauer, Natalie Morales and Al Roker in the couch area of the Studio 1A set – gave a tear-filled farewell message to viewers.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ann Curry Bids a Tearful Farewell to 'Today' |url=http://www.mediabistro.com/prnewser/ann-curry-bids-a-tearful-farewell-to-today_b39940 |work=PRNewser |date=June 28, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Farewell, Without a Parachute |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/29/arts/television/ann-currys-tearful-goodbye-from-today.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=June 28, 2012}}</ref> Rumors of Curry's departure from ''Today'' began weeks before NBC formally announced that she would no longer be co-host, spurring negative press similar to that resulting from the departure of Jane Pauley and her replacement by Deborah Norville 23 years earlier, as early reports suggested that Matt Lauer had a hand in the program's decision to let Curry go.<ref>{{cite news |title='Today' Mishandles Ann Curry's Departure |url=http://www.mediabistro.com/prnewser/today-mishandles-ann-currys-departure_b40037 |work=PRNewser |date=June 29, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title='Operation Bambi': How and Why NBC Kicked Ann Curry Off Today |url=https://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/04/how-why-nbc-kicked-ann-curry-off-today.html |work=[[New York (magazine)|New York]] |date=April 18, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Waking Up on the Wrong Side of a Ratings War |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/21/magazine/who-can-save-the-today-show.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=April 18, 2013}}</ref> Viewership declines for the program that began in the months following Curry becoming co-host precipitated in part due to public criticism over Lauer's alleged involvement in Curry's departure; loyal viewers once again began turning to the competing ''Good Morning America'', which toppled ''Today''{{'}}s 16-year consecutive run as the top-rated morning news program during the week of April 9, 2012.<ref name="GMA Win" /> The public relations problems for Lauer that resulted from the accusations, led then-executive producer Jim Bell to admit responsibility for the negative press, in defense of Lauer, in a series of interviews with ''[[The New York Times]]'', ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' and the [[Associated Press]].<ref>{{cite news |title='Today' Chief: Transition Was 'Tough,' but It's Not Matt Lauer's Fault |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/today-jim-bell-matt-lauer-374346 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=September 26, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title='Today' Producer Says Ouster of Ann Curry Was His Choice |url=http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/26/executive-producer-of-today-says-ouster-of-ann-curry-was-his-call/ |newspaper=The New York Times |date=September 26, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title='Today' producer angry about Lauer stories |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20120926/us-tv-today-lauer/ |work=HuffPost |agency=Associated Press |date=September 26, 2012}}</ref>