Matt Lauer's Popularity With Viewers Plunges
Sept. 22 2012, Published 10:07 a.m. ET
Ratings for TODAY aren't the only numbers taking a dive at NBC. Matt Lauer's popularity with viewers is in a free fall.
According to the influential Q Scores, his "likability" has plummeted 25 percent in just 12 months.
Q Scores are one of the most important factors companies use in deciding where to advertise, and the organization's analysis of Lauer mirrors an internal study done at NBC, according to The New York Daily News.
The likability collapse covered the year when Meredith Viera left Lauer's side on the morning show's anchor desk, to be replaced by Ann Curry and then by Savannah Guthrie.
“It raises a flag,” Henry Schafer, executive vice president of Q Scores, told The News. "These morning shows are driven by personalities — so there’s a real challenge out there for NBC News."
As RadarOnline.com previously reported, some producers at TODAY "hate" Lauer because of the role he played in getting Curry fired.
Her tearful departure was one of the low points in the show's history.
A spokeswoman for the TODAY show denied NBC had done any research into their host's likability, but Lauer himself acknowledged there is an issue with viewers.
"Is it only 25 percent? Because it actually feels much worse," Lauer told The News.
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Savannah Guthrie Officially Announced As Ann Curry's Replacement On TODAY
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