Apparently Alessandra Stanley's NYT article skewering Katie Couric and highlighting the closing gap between NBC's "Today" show and ABC's "Good Morning America" has cast a long shadow. According to Page Six, that piece, which followed the axing of "Today" producer Tom Touchet by beleaguered NBC honcho Jeff Zucker (nothing to see here, Bert Fields) opened up a follow-up can of worms, the latest of which now includes two investigative pieces in process by the New Yorker's Ken Auletta and New York's Meryl Gordon (Page Six says NBC likes Auletta better).

Page Six also reports that NBC insiders think the Stanley hit was retaliation for the ouster of "Today" executive producer Jonathan Wald, the brother of NYT energy and transportation reporter Matthew Wald. Whatever will those evil, vindictive, all-powerful energy and transportation reporters plot next?