The Today Show
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Today (commonly referred to as The Today Show or NBC News Today) is a morning news and talk show airing on the NBC television network in the United States. It first aired on Monday, January 14, 1952, an entirely new experiment not only in morning television, but also in the combination of hard news and light features. The Australian version has aired on that country's Nine Network since 1982. The Nine Network's main rival, the Seven Network, tape-delays and broadcasts NBC's Today.
In attempt, Today is now the second longest-running television series in the history of broadcasting behind Meet The Press, a morning interview program which airs every Sunday morning.
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About the Show
When Today started in 1952, it was seen live only in the Eastern and Central time zones, broadcasting three hours per morning but seen for only two hours in each time zone. From this information it can be deduced that the show aired and went off-the air at the same local time in New York City and Chicago, for example, but only the second hour of the program was viewable simultaneously in both markets. Later, Today aired live for five hours a morning, but it was seen for only two consecutive hours in each of the four US continental time zones. Since 1958, Today is tape-delayed for the different time zones. For many years it was a two-hour program from 7:00 to 9:00 AM in all time zones, until NBC expanded it to three hours (until 10:00 AM in all time zones) on October 2, 2000. In some markets (such as Rochester, New York, on WHEC-TV), the third hour of Today is tape-delayed by an hour and airs at 10 AM.
Today was the first of its genre when it signed on with original host Dave Garroway. The show blends national news headlines, in-depth interviews with newsmakers, lifestyle features, other light news and gimmicks (including the presence of the chimpanzee J. Fred Muggs as the show's mascot during the early years), and local news updates. It has spawned several other shows of a similar type, including ABC's Good Morning America, CBS's The Early Show. In other countries the format was copied - in Canada with Canada AM on CTV.
The show broadcasts from Studio 1A in Rockefeller Center, New York, just across the street from NBC headquarters at the GE Building. The studio is located right next to the street and many times the hosts do the weather or other events from outside. Today moved to the current streetside studio in the mid-1990s, providing a link to the show's 1950s street-level set at the old RCA Exhibition Hall, also Rockefeller Plaza. However, when major events happen in Washington during the morning, like presidential inaugurations, the show broadcasts from NBC studios in Washington.
Since the premiere of the 1990s set, the morning shows of each of the major broadcast and cable-news networks has moved streetside -- including two of Today's Rockefeller Center neighbors, Fox News's Fox & Friends and CNN's American Morning. (In summer 2005, CNN reversed the trend, moving its morning show indoors and uptown to the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle.) ABC's Good Morning America broadcasts from Times Square Studios in Times Square.
Today was the brainchild of Pat Weaver, who was then vice-president of NBC. He was president of the company from 1953 to 1955 (during which time Today's late-night companion, The Tonight Show , premiered), and then served as chairman of the board for another year.
Image:KatieMattAl.jpg The show is currently hosted by Katie Couric and Matt Lauer. Al Roker does national weather updates, signaling the ten-second cutaway to local forecasting with the outcue, "Here’s what’s happening in your neck of the woods." Ann Curry reads news headlines. Natalie Morales is a national correspondent and co-host of the 3rd hour of the program, Gene Shalit is the entertainment critic, and Peter Greenberg is the travel editor. Roker, Curry, and Morales interview guests and take part in other segments in addition to their weather and news duties during the 9am hour. Also, former "Today" weatherman Willard Scott sends birthday wishes to centenarians twice weekly and occassionally subs for Roker. NBC News correspondent David Gregory has recently been added as substitute host for Matt Lauer. Weekend Today host Campbell Brown often subs for Couric. Bob Dotson, Jamie Gangel, and Melissa Stark are National Correspondents for Today. Stark also acts as host of MSNBC Live. Kelly O'Donnell covers the day's events at the White House while Tim Russert (host of NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday mornings) offers commentary on current political news (MSNBC's Chris Matthews sometimes subs for Russert).
One popular monthly feature is "Spanning the World" with WNBC-TV sports anchor Len Berman. "Spanning" is a reel of odd and interesting sports highlights from the past month, with a recorded introduction and closing by Don Pardo. This segment also airs on WNBC-TV's 6 PM and 11 PM newscasts on a monthly basis. Jean Chatzky, editor-at-large for Money Magazine, provides weekly financial segments.
The hosts of the show include the following:
- Dave Garroway (1952–1961)
- John Chancellor (1961–1962)
- Hugh Downs (1962–1971)
- Frank McGee and Barbara Walters (1971–1974)
- Walters and Jim Hartz (1974–1976)
- Tom Brokaw and Jane Pauley (1976–1981)
- Pauley and Bryant Gumbel (1982–1989)
- Gumbel and Deborah Norville (1989–1991)
- Gumbel and Katie Couric (1991–1997)
- currently, Couric and Matt Lauer (1997-May 2006)
Joe Garagiola also hosted the show twice, first from 1967-1973 and then again in the early 1990s.
In 1999, NBC created two brand extensions for Today. One was Early Today, a newscast replacing NBC News at Sunrise that originally focused on business and financial news before switching to general news; it continues to air on many NBC affiliates. Also, Later Today, a talk show that was intended to air immediately following the then two-hour Today, was launched with hosts Jodi Applegate, Florence Henderson and Asha Blake. Sagging ratings for that show caused its cancellation in 2000 and replacement by a third hour of Today.
On December 11, 2005, the show marked its 10th year of placing first in the ratings.
On April 5, 2006, Katie Couric announced that she would leave Today and NBC at the end of May to become the anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News. The following day, on April 6, NBC announced that Meredith Vieira would replace Couric as co-host of Today. Couric's chair will be filled by various hosts until Vieira takes over, which is tentatively scheduled for September 2006 (see below).
Today in transition
Beginning in 2004, there were rumors that the hosts of Today were in the midst of a feud. Reports say that this was due to Katie Couric's prominence in the show and the general perception that she is the only person who can guarantee high ratings for the news program. Some report also suggest that Couric has become a bit too proud (some say obnoxious) because of this, and began to offend Lauer and the rest of the hosts. In addition, a few one-show victories by rival ABC program Good Morning America has fueled rumors of a feud, and some even went so far to suggest that Couric might be replaced in the near future. Couric has denied these reports, and says she has been rather hurt by them.
Such a feud, if one existed, may have been a factor - but by no means the main factor - leading to speculation of Couric leaving Today for the anchor chair of the CBS Evening News, as well as a place on 60 Minutes, following her NBC contract expiry on May 31, 2006. While previously assumed that NBC would not allow outside negotiations before the end of April, this clause was apparently waived, and Couric officially announced the move on Today at 7:30am EDT, April 5, 2006—her fifteenth anniversary on the show.
While an announcement from CBS was expected later in the week, Lauer convinced Couric to formally reveal her destination: "Well I know it's the worst kept secret in America, but I'm going to be working on the CBS Evening News and 60 Minutes..." [1] There have been some doubts as to how Couric will do on CBS's evening newscast since people identify her as a morning anchor. Couric's last day on Today is expected to be May 26, the Friday following the end of May sweeps.
The day after Couric's announcement, Meredith Vieira announced on ABC's The View, where she currently serves as a host, that she will take over as Lauer's co-anchor in September, despite numerous in-house candidates such as Campbell Brown, Ann Curry and Natalie Morales. Meanwhile, Lauer's future on the program has been secured for the foreseeable future; he has signed through 2011, and has reportedly gotten a sizeable salary increase. [2]
Weekend Today
Image:Lester Holt.jpg The Sunday edition of NBC News' Today premiered on September 20, 1987. Five years later, on August 1, 1992, the Saturday edition made its debut, expanding the broadcast schedule of the Today franchise to seven days a week. The program is broadcast from Studio 1A in Rockefeller Plaza in New York. However, when major events in Washington happen during the morning hours, the program is broadcast from NBC studios in Washington.
The weekend broadcasts continue the Today tradition of covering breaking news, interviewing newsmakers, reporting on a variety of popular-culture and human-interest stories, covering health and finance issues and presenting the latest weather reports. In addition, the show offers visitors to New York City a chance to observe firsthand the workings of a live television broadcast with its windowed studio on Rockefeller Plaza. Interaction with the crowd outside the studio is a major part of the program.
Weekend editions are tailored to the priorities and interests of weekend viewers—offering special series such as "Saturday Today on the Plaza," featuring live performances by the biggest names in music and Broadway outside the studio throughout the summer.
Lyne Pitts is the executive producer of Weekend Today.
Weekend Today is currently hosted by Lester Holt and Campbell Brown with weather reports from Janice Huff on Saturdays and Sean McLaughlin on Sundays. MSNBC's Amy Robach, Alison Stewart and Kristine Johnson, Today Show Correspondents Natalie Morales and Melissa Stark, and CNBC's Carl Quintanilla report the daily news headlines from the newsdesk.
The program is watched by more viewers than ABC's Good Morning America Weekend and CBS's Saturday Early Show.
Special Editions
On September 11, 2002, the show was extended to six hours (broadcasting until 1 PM Eastern time) for a special edition covering the anniversary of the terrorist attacks from one year earlier. The expansion of an episode is not at all unusual, usually for planned long-duration news events such as presidential inaugurations or elections. Breaking news can also extend the show's hours: during the London bombings on July 7, 2005, Today remained on the air for six hours, from seven AM to one PM EDT.