Matt Lauer - FishbowlNY

Morning Media Newsfeed: NY Post Sued | Greenwald in Spotlight | Drama During Today Show

James Crugnale — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 08:49:18 +0000

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Mass. Pair Sues New York Post Over Marathon Bombing Portrayal (Boston Globe)
A Massachusetts teenager and his 24-year-old friend filed a defamation lawsuit against the New York Post Wednesday in Boston, accusing the tabloid of falsely portraying them as suspects in the deadly Marathon bombings by plastering their photograph on the front page under the headline, “Bag Men.” The lawsuit filed in Suffolk Superior Court said the photographs and articles published three days after the bombings made it appear that FBI agents were pursuing Salaheddin Barhoum and Yassine Zaimi, avid runners watching the Marathon. Poynter / MediaWire Barhoum is a 16-year-old high school student in Revere, Mass., the Globe reports, and Zaimi “works at a financial services firm while studying business part time.” Both men enjoy running. NY Mag / Daily Intelligencer The Post, well practiced in strongly suggesting things without coming right out and saying them, was deliberate in its wording, which could make the case hard to win: The story read, “Investigators probing the deadly Boston Marathon bombings are circulating photos of two men spotted chatting near the packed finish line… Meanwhile, officials have identified two potential suspects who were captured on surveillance videos taken shortly before the deadly blasts… It was not immediately clear if the men in the law-enforcement photos are the same men in the surveillance videos.” FishbowlNY The pair are accusing the Post of libel, but also “negligent infliction of emotional distress,” and invasion of privacy. Barhoum and Zaimi seek damages and an unknown monetary compensation. We hope they’re asking for a lot and they get every penny. continued…

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Tune In | Pin Some Advil | Likely Role

Chris O'Shea — Mon, 13 May 2013 17:00:26 +0000

TVSpy: According to a study, Pittsburghers watch the most live television. This has something to do with the Pirates being so good, doesn’t it?

SocialTime: A new survey finds that Pinterest causes moms stress. The same survey found that people are idiots.

TVNewser: The Today show team is making an appearance on Michael J. Fox’s new show. During the episode, Matt Lauer tries to get Fox fired.

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Bad Building | Well Said | Try Something Else

Chris O'Shea — Fri, 10 May 2013 16:05:23 +0000

TVNewser: Matt Lauer hosted the Today show from the top of 1 WTC, thus making the building hated by association.

FishbowlDC: CBS’ Major Garrett, who has been dealing with pneumonia, said of the battle, “I’m taking more drugs than Elvis but doing fewer shows.” We like that guy.

GalleyCat: If your mom is weird, maybe she’d like books about mothers. Maybe!

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Morning Media Newsfeed: Discovery Earnings Up | Megyn Kelly Renews | Roberts Most Trusted

James Crugnale — Wed, 08 May 2013 08:25:44 +0000

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Discovery Reports Higher First-Quarter Earnings (B&C)
Discovery Communications reported higher first-quarter earnings as international growth offset a decline in digital distribution revenue. First-quarter net income rose 4 percent to $231 million, or 63 cents a share, from $221 million, or 57 cents a share. The Wrap / The Box Discovery also said it expects Oprah Winfrey’s OWN to meet its previously stated goal of breaking even in cash flow in the second half of this year, Discovery president and CEO David Zaslav said. OWN viewership was up 3 percent in its key women 25-54 demographic in the first quarter, even though the first quarter of 2012 included OWN’s highest-rated broadcast, Winfrey’s interview with Whitney Houston’s daughter. THR The latest figure was impacted by a range of factors in addition to what the company called “the strong underlying operating performance in the current year’s quarter.” Among the items affecting the latest profit were a $92 million gain from the consolidation of results for Discovery Japan and $46 million of improved equity earnings, but also higher equity-based compensation expenses and a $59 million loss from “hedging activities primarily associated with the acquisition of the SBS Nordic operations.” continued…

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Boring Guy Tom Hanks Tops ’100 Most Trusted People in America’ List

Chris O'Shea — Tue, 07 May 2013 15:30:16 +0000

Reader’s Digest just published a piece titled the “100 Most Trusted People in America” and Tom Hanks took the top spot. This is not surprising. Hanks is perhaps the most boring dude alive. You know those dreams you have where nothing significant happens and you wake up knowing you had a dream so you feel like you should tell someone about it but it’s so vague you end up not saying anything? That’s what hanging out with Hanks is like.

Anyway, Sandra Bullock was number two in the poll. Which uh, see above.

Other highlights:

Jay Leno was more trusted than David Letterman (were people drunk when they voted?)
Robin Roberts was the most trusted woman on TV
Other highly trusted media people include Diane Sawyer, Brian Williams, Katie Couric, Barbara Walters, Anderson Cooper, Oprah Winfrey, George Stephanopoulos, Scott Pelley, Kelly Ripa, Steve Harvey and Savannah Guthrie.
Judge Judy is more trusted than Matt Lauer.

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Here is a Gif of Matt Lauer Dancing

Chris O'Shea — Fri, 03 May 2013 13:23:09 +0000

Happy Friday. Here is a gif of Matt Lauer dancing. Or is that swaying? Either way, this is definitely a new low for FishbowlNY.

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Meredith Vieira is Not Interested in Today Show Gossip, Defends Matt Lauer

Chris O'Shea — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 10:14:57 +0000

You can go ahead and count Meredith Vieira among those who won’t be buying Top of The Morning, by Brian Stelter. Vieira told The New York Post that she wasn’t interested in reading the book, which highlights all the high school level drama at the Today show and more.

Vieira explained that the subject of the book hit a little too close to home:

I’m over it… I’ve kind of been-there-done-that, and I don’t know what the interest is. I don’t want to get on a high horse, because I understand why people write it. I’m not trying to say he’s [Stelter] wrong to do it, but I look at it and it’s so personal to me. It’s my friends.

And speaking of friends, Vieira is a Matt Lauer fan. “I think what is happening to Matt is really wrong,” she said. Almost as wrong as forcing a coworker out of a job simply because you don’t get along! Almost.

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Kathie Lee Gifford Wanted to Publish an Ad Defending Matt Lauer

Chris O'Shea — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 10:00:50 +0000

The extensive bashing of Matt Lauer has left him with few fans, but Kathie Lee Gifford — in her own goofy way — wanted to make sure everyone knew he still had friends at the Today show. The New York Daily News reports that her plan was to buy a full page ad in USA Today, featuring signatures from “hundreds” of Today staffers.

The idea of a pity party didn’t sit well with Lauer, so he asked her not to do it. Instead, she told the Daily News all about it, and now everyone knows about the ad anyway. Well done.

Here’s the ad’s cheesy copy:

continued…

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Good Call | Slick Tweeting | Show Time

Chris O'Shea — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 17:00:00 +0000

TVNewser: Thank god for Barbara Bush. When Matt Lauer asked her about Jeb Bush running for president, she said “We’ve had enough Bushes.” You’re damn right we have.

AllTwitter: Bill Clinton has joined Twitter. Please, someone show him how to properly use the Direct Message function.

TVSpy: People still watch The Andy Griffith Show. That’s not a joke.

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Media Beat: Brian Stelter on Being Matt Lauer’s Nemesis

Kevin Eck — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 09:05:01 +0000

Brian Stelter, who launched TVNewser almost 10 years ago, is now a published author. “Top of the Morning,” out today, lays bare a tumultuous year for network morning news shows which saw one anchor pack her bags, another face a serious health issue, a ratings leader fall — and lose a quarter of its audience — and an entirely new show launch.

In his first interview for the book, Stelter tells us about the secrecy behind “Top of the Morning,” the access he got, and what he thinks about being called Matt Lauer‘s nemesis.

Part II, tomorrow: What happens when Brian Stelter Tweets something he shouldn’t?

For more videos, check out our YouTube channel and follow us on Twitter: @mediabistroTV

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The Today Show Sounds Like an Awful Place to Work

Chris O'Shea — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 15:50:31 +0000

The drama enveloping the Today show gets another indepth look today, courtesy of an excerpt from Top of the Morning: Inside the Cutthroat World of Morning TV, by Matt Lauer’s arch nemesis, Brian Stelter.

In the piece — published by the New York Times — Stelter piles on the current thinking that Lauer and others forced out Ann Curry. In fact, after reading the article, it sounds like the Today show is an absolutely awful place to work.

As Stelter reports, the staffers at Today were all pretty much assholes:

continued…

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Devious Duo | Watch and Tweet | Done Deen

Chris O'Shea — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 17:00:14 +0000

TVNewser: Matt Lauer and Savannah Guthrie think people getting fired because of one person’s ego is so fun and silly!

Lost Remote: This is pretty interesting — MLB is going to stream a Yankees game on Twitter.

FishbowlLA: Here’s more information about James Deen, just in case you’re somehow not sick of him yet.

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Anderson Cooper Asked if He Wants Matt Lauer’s Job [Update]

Chris O'Shea — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 08:59:08 +0000

Matt Lauer is having a rough week. First, New York published that lengthy account about how he forced Ann Curry out at Today and oh by the way, no one really likes him anyway. Now, Deadline reports that someone at the morning show is trying to replace him with Anderson Cooper.

According to the report, someone at Today called Cooper about taking over for Lauer before the end of the year. Obviously Lauer wasn’t pleased about this and told that someone to effectively f*ck off (we’re paraphrasing/making this more exciting here) when they tried to get his blessing on the change. Lauer then called Cooper to tell him to effectively f*ck off, which caught Cooper by surprise, because he assumed Lauer was in on the idea.

The only thing that wasn’t revealed by Deadline’s account was what Cooper said when he was asked if he wanted Lauer’s job. If it was “Yes,” we assume Lauer said many more swear words than we’ve detailed here.

Update (11:30 am):
NBC is of course denying Deadline’s report. NBC News’ senior vice president, Alexandra Wallace, told THR, “As we’ve said before, Matt Lauer is the best in the business. We want him in the Today show anchor chair for many years to come.”

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Matt Lauer Hating Is in Full Swing

Chris O'Shea — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 10:28:31 +0000

In a long New York piece, the drama surrounding the Today show is explored. It’s well worth reading, but here’s a quick summary: Matt Lauer‘s day in the sun is officially over.

For awhile now, people have suspected Lauer was the reason that Ann Curry was fired, and this piece does nothing but fan those flames. The Lauer hating is officially in overdrive. Below are just a few highlights:

Lauer was the reason GMA was gaining on Today, not Curry. An independent study found that the public liked Curry more than Lauer. One anonymous source said Lauer was becoming Bryant Gumbel. Minus the hair, obviously.
Lauer knew Curry was getting fired and despite probably being able to save her, he didn’t. Like New York explains, that doesn’t make him a “horrible person,” but it certainly won’t gain him any fans.
Lauer doesn’t like Brian Stelter. This is a huge no-no in New York media. Everyone likes Stelter. What’s not to like? But Lauer “refused to give Stelter an interview, believing he was working hand in glove with Ben Sherwood to tear him down in the press.” Stelter denies this claim, but nevertheless, he’s referred to as Lauer’s “nemesis.” This automatically makes him our nemesis, so we’ll see you by the willow tree, Lauer. Three o’clock sharp. Be ready to rumble fancy news boy.

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Good Question | Live Grab | Unfriendly Times

Chris O'Shea — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 17:00:45 +0000

FishbowlLA: Rumor of the day is that Matt Lauer is being considered as Alex Trebek‘s successor on Jeopardy. What is… How to go from one cushy, high-paying job to another?

TVNewser: Here is some insane footage of a Sky News reporter being detained — while on the air — by Chinese police.

PRNewser: Apple and Samsung still don’t like each other.

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