Staff At The TODAY Show Fear For Their Jobs Due To Budget Cuts, But Matt Lauer Won’t Take A Pay Cut!
Nov. 15 2012, Published 4:30 a.m. ET
By Jen Heger - RadarOnline.com Assistant Managing Editor
NBC Universal may have announced layoffs in their entertainment division on Monday, but don’t expect TODAY show co-host Matt Lauer to agree to a pay cut to save anyone else’s bacon, RadarOnline.com is exclusively reporting.
Lauer, 54, is one of the main reasons that some staffers at the beleaguered morning news show are expecting to be handed pink slips after the holidays because of his whopping $30 million-a-year salary… but don’t think for one minute he will agree to having his wages slashed!
“It's only a matter of time before job cuts are made in the NBC news division, which includes the TODAY show,” an insider told RadarOnline.com.
“TODAY show staffers are convinced there will be significant job losses because of the cost-cutting measures that are being done across the board by Comcast, which now owns a majority stake in NBC.
“The crew believes that some of the potential cuts could be avoided if Matt agreed to a pay cut.
“Matt's salary is a whopping $30 million dollars a year, and it’s seriously crippling the show. But he has made it pretty clear that he won’t take a pay decrease, so instead the staffers are in line for the chop,” the insider divulged.
As we previously reported, Lauer's on air reporting is going to be cut back as Alexandra Wallace, the incoming executive-in-charge of the show's staff, recognizes that viewers are tuning out in droves because of him.
“Matt's on air reporting and interviews for the TODAY show are going to be cut back because Alexandra recognizes that he is widely unpopular and many view him to be responsible for Ann Curry being fired from the co-host spot,” a show insider previously told RadarOnline.com.
“This isn't personal, but Alexandra will be doing whatever is necessary to get the show back in first place, even if that means ruffling Lauer's feathers. Look for Willie Geist, one of the co-hosts of the third hour, to be featured more during the first two hours of the show because viewers absolutely love him. Willie comes across as genuine and warm, unlike Matt Lauer.”
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Meanwhile, Good Morning America continues to beat TODAY in the ratings.
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