With NBC talking to Ryan Seacrest about becoming the next host of "Today," as previously reported, the network is undergoing an identity crisis about the popular morning program, reports the Los Angeles Times.
At the heart of the crisis is whether a Top 40 radio and "American Idol" host can lead a news-focused show during a national crisis, for example, the story says. While NBC Broadcasting Chairman Ted Harbert has telegraphed his support for Seacrest, others at the network remember when the show had a news-based agenda and would like to see it move in that direction, the piece reports.
The show "has long been more than a news program, shifting like other morning shows to a melange of features and entertainment amid a convivial ‘family’ of on-set personalities," the story says.
Current host Matt Lauer was the subject of criticism when he was hired in 1997, with the local news and interview host considered too lightweight for the program, the article notes.
If NBC wants to see Today’s ratings drop move it to a more “news-based agenda”. That isn’t what the morning show’s watchers are looking for. They can find that on CNN or FOX News. They have been very successful with their current mix. Whether Ryan is the right person is a matter for debate, but changing the mix would be very wrong for them.
Not sure you get “news-based agenda” at FOX News in the morning (or any other time of day), but I agree the host of Today needs a BIT more gravitas than, say, Ryan Seacrest.