“NBC Nightly News” anchor Brian Williams and “Today” anchor Matt Lauer — rivals for big exclusive interviews, and for the attention of their bosses — are said to be feuding.
When the “Today” show aired excerpts of Williams’ interview with NSA leaker Edward Snowden (which ran Wednesday evening during a primetime news special), Williams refused to introduce the segments, sources said, leaving the task to Andrea Mitchell.
“It was a great promotional opportunity, but Williams wouldn’t go on ‘Today’ even for his own interview,” said one insider. “He wants nothing to do with ‘Today.’”
An NBC source denied there was any feud going on between the two anchors and said Williams was busy into the wee hours editing the five hours of Snowden videotape.
“Brian was booked on ‘Today,’ but at 2am the night before, when it became clear he would not get home anytime soon, he wrote his friends Matt [Lauer] and Savannah [Guthrie, show co-host] personally to . . . apologize for bailing.”
But another network insider said feelings have been hurt because NBC News boss Deborah Turness, who took the reins last August, is giving all of her attention to helping Lauer and the “Today” show regain supremacy in the ratings. “Brian feels like an orphan,” the insider said.
ABC’s “Good Morning America” overtook “Today” in 2012, for the first time in seven years. While “GMA” won the morning-show ratings crown for the recent all-important May sweeps, “Today’s” viewership was up from the same period last year.
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