Matt Lauer thinks a fourth hour of Today is a good idea — if NBC has the manpower to make it happen. In response to TVNewser’s question during a conference call yesterday, Lauer said he thinks the discussions are in the preliminary stages.

Lauer said: “I think if the interest is there and we can put great content in that hour, and it won’t water down the prevous version of the show, I’m fine with it as long as we can get the staff to accomplish it, Steve.”

(He was referring to NBC News president Steve Capus, who holds the purse strings.)

“We certainly don’t want to run people into the ground,” Lauer continued. “We just want to make sure that if we tackle that extra hour, we have the manpower and the producing power to do it right.”

Lauer said the fourth hour probably wouldn’t be on his plate. “I don’t have a very large role in the third hour, nor would Meredith,” he noted.