"Did Matt hear about this ?"
Posted on 04/18/2005 5:49:27 PM PDT by kingattax
NEW YORK (AP) - For 487 weeks, viewers have made NBC's "Today" show team of Katie Couric and Matt Lauer their favorites in the morning. The steady rise of ABC's "Good Morning America" is threatening that dominance.
So far this season, the "Today" ratings lead has averaged 662,000 viewers, down from almost 1.3 million last year at the same time, according to Nielsen Media Research. Five years ago, "Today" regularly won by nearly 2 million.
There have even been a few days - the Monday after Pope John Paul II died and last Tuesday's Mariah Carey concert - when the ABC team of Charles Gibson and Diane Sawyer came in first.
"The program has momentum and momentum that has been building for six years," said Ben Sherwood, executive producer of "GMA" since taking over from Shelley Ross last year.
Over nine years the gap has been big and small, but 'Today' has never lost its status as the top morning show, said its spokeswoman, Lauren Kapp.
"Since when is another loss considered a success?" she said. "The strength of 'Today' speaks for itself."
"Today" has averaged just over 6 million viewers this season, "Good Morning America" 5.36 million, Nielsen said.
It would be a huge psychic blow to NBC if "Today" were eclipsed. It is NBC's most profitable show, and the primary architect of its remarkable winning streak - former executive producer Jeff Zucker - has ascended to NBC Universal Television Group president.
Andrew Tyndall, a consultant who monitors the content of network news programs, said "GMA" has picked up its pace and sharpened its focus.
All of the morning news shows are newsy and move quickly during their first half-hour, a Zucker innovation. Sherwood said he's trying to bring that philosophy to the rest of the show, even for feature-oriented segments.
"We're trying to make a program that connects with the hurried pace of most American mornings," Sherwood said. "Every choice is aimed at how our typical viewer is living - making breakfast, making lunches for school and trying to get out the door. You want to be connected with what's going on in the world and what people are talking about that day."
ABC seems to be doing fewer celebrity interviews and more taped reports, Tyndall said. Sherwood said he just tries for something that people can connect to: a segment with Hillary Duff focused on giving a fan a chance to meet her instead of a straight interview.
News anchor Robin Roberts has proven popular and will soon be given an even bigger role in the show, Sherwood said.
Many of the popular segments where "Today" blazed a trail are now a few years old: the morning concert series, the wedding planned by viewers, the "where in the world is Matt Lauer?" road trip where the host travels to a mystery location each day. It is placing high hopes on the "Live for Today" segment where participants try out dream jobs.
The addition of a third "Today" hour is a financial success but not universally popular at the show; it's also another full hour of programming to plan every day.
Couric had such an unnaturally high level of respect and popularity a few years ago that it was impossible to last, Tyndall said.
"All she's gone from is being the perfect superstar to being just really good," he said.
One factor in the "GMA" rise may simply be ABC's improving fortunes in prime time. The idea is if someone is watching ABC in the evening, the TV remains on that channel when it is turned on again the next morning.
It escaped no one's attention that ABC's victory on April 4 came the morning after "Desperate Housewives" was seen by nearly 25 million people
"Did Matt hear about this ?"
America is sick of Katie Kook.
ABC's problem now is that they're using Charlie Gibson to cover to for Jennings..He can't do both...and they don't want to hurt GMA by taking him off..
Serious question: Who watches these programs? I've never seen either one of them. I have a job to go to.
the "perkie" one........GAG
To warm the cockles of your heart..perhaps they can't stand the perky one..
Diane Sawyer challenges Katie Couric to a no holds barred cage match to the death! (Or until one of them breaks a nail...)
NBC and ABC sign up illegal aliens to "watch the programs that Americans WON'T watch"
Katie is awful. Some of us realized this years ago when I called her the ghoul reporter before I ever found FR. Now we just get our reports on the latest idiocy from our beloved glgb.
Please let it be a fight to the death for both programs.
Good question. And the few times I have watched - a day off for example babysitting a sick kid - they appear to be 90% fluff.
Considering the kind of ads they have, their median audience age is 65.
Never seen any of them myself. On the rarest of occasions, when I am up early enough to put on a TV before going to work, I try to find Gilligans Island reruns, or cartoons.
Does this mean I have to have another televised colonoscopy?
I used to watch Hugh Downs.
In my high chair.
Serious question: Who watches these programs? I've never seen either one of them. I have a job to go to.
I watch Fox & Friends morning show have since day 1
lol
Except for sports, I don't watch either network. I still watch "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "NCIS" on CBS, but that's about it. The rest of my boob-tubing is FNC and History Channel.
I keep my morning shows limited to Fox and Friends. On weekdays for news, and weekends, to just admire Juliet Huddy. ;^)
All the women of "TODAY" are cratchety, middle-aged, FLAT-CHESTED!!!, has-been, flower-girl libs.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.