This sucks.
I cannot believe that NBC is going to replace the awesomely awesome Ann Curry with the boringly boring Savannah Guthrie.
When the news broke last week that Ann was getting the ax from The Today Show, I was hoping that at least maybe they would save Hoda Kotb from the hell she is living in the fourth hour of the show with Kathie Lee Gifford, or maybe even bump Natalie Morales up. But since Matt has already (allegedly) has his affair (and possibly a kid) with Natalie and he has no attraction to Hoda…the newest and youngest chick on the set gets the job. It’s all about the Lauer Principle on that show.
At least that’s what I think happened. Either way, it’s a done deal. The only hangup is the money NBC is going to have to pay Ann to square things up. Of course, they are trying to screw her on that too.
As we first reported, Ann gets $10 million a year. She is one year into a 3-year contract, and from what we’re hearing NBC does not want to pay her $20 million for the balance of the contract. Sources tell us Ann wants the full $20 mil and her exit papers. NBC wants to pay her $10 mil and give her a foreign correspondent job. And therein lies the hang-up.
The network could pay her the $20 mil and then prohibit her from working anywhere else for 2 years. But we’re told they don’t want to shell out that kind of dough, so Ann’s lawyer and NBC are haggling.
