One Year Ago
One year ago Today, Ann Curry sat on the Today Show couch with Matt Lauer and Natalie Morales to her left and Al Roker to her right.
Out of the commercial break, she welcomed the viewers back to the Today Show and then told them that she had been fired from the morning program.
The day had a huge impact on Curry, who in the past year has made sporadic appearances on other NBC News programs and will have her first prime time special on the network air tonight (NBC said at the time that Curry would have specials not special on the network).
That day also had a huge impact on Matt Lauer.
In the time it took for Ann Curry to say goodbye, Lauer's reputation did a 180 degree turn.
Right or wrong.... Lauer came out of the Ann Curry mess the most bruised...many would argue even more so than Curry herself.
Lauer and NBC have spent the past year doing all they can to rebuild his reputation.
Many inside the Today Show thought that dumping Curry would move them back to number 1 in the ratings.
In the year since Curry has been gone, The Today Show has only been number 1 in the ratings for 2 days.
Good Morning America passed the Today Show and has continued to keep their foot on the accelerator.
Behind the scenes, The Today Show has changed just about everyone that was in a management position. They are looking to build a new studio and make other changes.
It appears that Today has slowed down the ratings slide and at this point, not going backward is seen as a victory.
Most inside NBC are hoping that in the next year, Today will be back in the top spot, ahead of Good Morning America.
Maybe the only person inside NBC not hoping for that is Ann Curry.