"The departures of Katie Couric and Charles Gibson for evening anchor jobs last year left" Matt Lauer "as the king of morning television," the AP's David Bauder writes. "Although the transition to a new "Today" hasn't been flawless, Lauer has assumed his role with quiet authority and skill. No one really comes close."

Bauder points to Lauer's handling of the Imus controversy and the Virginia Tech shootings as example. "He is a very underrated interviewer," says former NBC News President Neal Shapiro...

Lauer wasn't made available for an interview...