NBC Boss: The Today Show Got Too Complacent
/
Today Show boss Matt Lauer isn't the only one that thinks the NBC morning show has lost its swagger.
The real NBC boss thinks so as well.
Patricia Fili-Krushel, the new chairman of the NBCUniversal News Group, which includes not only NBC News but also cable channels MSNBC and CNBC.
In one of her first interviews since taking the job last July, Fili-Krushel acknowledges to the LA Times that the network mishandled the Vieira-Curry-Guthrie transition. But she added that even without that fiasco the show had become too complacent and protective of its No. 1 perch.
"When you are No. 1, it's easy to stop taking chances," Fili-Krushel said. "I think we just stopped innovating."
When GMA closed the gap and then took the lead, "Today" tried to copy it with more tabloid fare and an increase in goofy stunts. "We need to play our own game," she said.
Despite the concerns about the Lauer-Guthrie pairing, Fili-Krushel gave them a strong endorsement. "They are the ones who will take us back to No. 1," the executive said.
