Hoda Kotb to leave "Today" early next year
27 views
Skip to first unread message
Bob Jersey
Sep 26, 2024, 10:51:26 AM9/26/24
to TVorNotTV
So said a memo to staffers... "I saw it all so clearly: my broadcast career has been beyond meaningful, a new decade of my life lies ahead, and now my daughters and my mom need and deserve a bigger slice of my time pie.”
Kevin M.
Sep 26, 2024, 11:22:16 AM9/26/24
to tvor...@googlegroups.com
I’m reasonably certain I’ve lived my life having never seen or heard her
Kevin M. (RPCV)
--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TVorNotTV" group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to tvornottv+...@googlegroups.com.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/a1510261-7ea6-4201-b36f-335c6ba2ac1dn%40googlegroups.com.
PGage
Sep 28, 2024, 5:44:04 AM9/28/24
to tvor...@googlegroups.com
While unlike Kevin I have seen and heard Hoda a few times in various contexts, never have I seen her on The Today show, and indeed I was mildly surprised to be reminded recently that she was one of the hosts.
She is though part of the last generation of TV News dinosaurs - Big Salaried Stars that broadcast and cable networks build their programs around. There are still others of that generation, but all but a few are in or approaching their 60s, and almost certainly in their last big contract.
Puck News’ Dylan Thomas wrote about this in his most recent newsletter:
“…the choreography of Hoda’s exit also belied some unpalatable economic realities…. Hoda was making more than $20 million per year at NBC, according to sources with direct knowledge of her salary. (Savannah also makes more than $20 million; Lauer had made $25 million.) NBC executives loved Hoda and knew her value to the brand, but also made clear to her agents that such stratospheric contracts were no longer justifiable given the industry’s inexorable decline. A decade ago, Today and GMA each averaged around 5 million viewers; today, their audiences are just more than half of that, at around 2.8 million. And they’ve fared even worse in the advertiser-coveted 25- to 54-year-old demo, declining from around 2 million viewers each to about 600,000. Thus, instead of a pay raise, NBC proposed a cut.
Alas, Hoda’s situation is not unique. An economic realignment is coming to television, and the star system is nearing its end. Inevitably, almost every handsomely paid on-air talent will be forced to take a haircut or, at best, accept an almost negligible 2 to 4 percent cost-of-living raise. Alternatively, they’ll be asked to graciously make way for significantly lower-priced successors. “This is the age of the great resetting of TV news contracts,” one veteran media executive told me. “Everyone is getting their pay cut or their jobs eliminated. In the coming year, some big names will announce they want to spend more time with their kids or families or write new chapters. And that may be true. But they also don’t want to work for less money even though they have already made a fortune.”
After all, the current economic arrangement is entirely unsustainable. GMA co-hosts George Stephanopoulos, Robin Roberts, and Michael Strahan cost Disney at least $75 million a year, a ludicrous expense that will need to be greatly reduced during the next round of contract negotiations. Both Stephanopoulos and Roberts are 63, and may determine they don’t want to be paid less to wake up before 4 a.m. to service a shrinking audience. Strahan already moonlights as a Fox NFL analyst, which would be a fine safety net. Yes, the era keeps ending, but it’s starting to end a little faster…”
Alas, Hoda’s situation is not unique. An economic realignment is coming to television, and the star system is nearing its end. Inevitably, almost every handsomely paid on-air talent will be forced to take a haircut or, at best, accept an almost negligible 2 to 4 percent cost-of-living raise. Alternatively, they’ll be asked to graciously make way for significantly lower-priced successors. “This is the age of the great resetting of TV news contracts,” one veteran media executive told me. “Everyone is getting their pay cut or their jobs eliminated. In the coming year, some big names will announce they want to spend more time with their kids or families or write new chapters. And that may be true. But they also don’t want to work for less money even though they have already made a fortune.”
After all, the current economic arrangement is entirely unsustainable. GMA co-hosts George Stephanopoulos, Robin Roberts, and Michael Strahan cost Disney at least $75 million a year, a ludicrous expense that will need to be greatly reduced during the next round of contract negotiations. Both Stephanopoulos and Roberts are 63, and may determine they don’t want to be paid less to wake up before 4 a.m. to service a shrinking audience. Strahan already moonlights as a Fox NFL analyst, which would be a fine safety net. Yes, the era keeps ending, but it’s starting to end a little faster…”
Sent from Gmail Mobile
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/CAKgmY4DGYsrjE9fkbhP60bYmdG8_HAY%2BUbiSnPqSGQCKB%3DfjCw%40mail.gmail.com.
Tom Wolper
Sep 28, 2024, 9:09:53 AM9/28/24
to tvor...@googlegroups.com
That seems to mirror what’s happening in local TV news with smaller salary numbers.
To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/tvornottv/CAKGtkYKYjQDEzwOmzKsT1Dcjke9Kwkm9TpYqLmNACdKzF8Qsqw%40mail.gmail.com.
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages