Jane Pauley to Leave NBC After 27 Years

AP | 2/20/03

[kattracks]

NEW YORK, Feb 20, 2003 (AP Online via COMTEX) -- Jane Pauley, the co-anchor of "Dateline NBC," will be leaving NBC in June after 27 years with the network.

Her resignation was announced on Thursday on NBC's "Today" show, which she had anchored for 13 years before moving to Dateline.

Pauley decided not to renew her contract, opting instead to begin the next phase of her career, said Ann Curry, a co-anchor on the "Today" show.

The decision to leave the network was not an easy decision for Pauley but "she felt the urge to try new things," Curry said.

Details were not disclosed about Pauley's plans. A call to Pauley's office at NBC was not answered early Thursday.

Bob Wright, the chairman of NBC, called Pauley "a pioneer who has been synonymous with NBC for nearly 30 years," Curry said.

[Eowyn-of-Rohan]

The Today Show "let Jane go" in about 1982, so they could bring in the "babe" Deborah Norville. Zillions of Today show fans stopped watching in protest, as Jane was everyone's "girl next door" favorite...So then they dropped Norville and brought in Katie Couric, apparently hoping people would think she had an appeal similar to Jane's. But she was no Jane! I don't think the Today Show has ever been as popular as it was before Jane and Tom left, but they hurt Jane's career too, as she never had a public identity after the Today show.... I am glad Jane is moving on to different, hopefully more fulfilling things!

[eleni121]

New things for Jane? Please please please...replace anything that Baba Walters is doing....

[rwfromkansas]

When I used to watch Dateline, I liked Pauley. She probably is a liberal, but at least she is not like Couric.

[rwfromkansas]

you talk politics? :)

[Future Snake Eater]

Think she'll start her own show like that, or join Bahbwah Wahwah on her own show?

[Willie Green]

One of the few times I ever admired Jack Welch was when he made Jane Pauley eat crow on air after GM proved NBC falsified a story on exploding pickmeup truck gas tanks. LOL! It looked like Pauley had tears in her eyes as she sucked on a bar of soap!

[rwfromkansas]

Oh that Trudeau......I thought she was married to the infomercial guy...lol.

[Wright is right!]

"Either that, or it's industry spin for "We reached the salary cap and we sacrificed her in order to pay for Katie Couric's contract."

Nope, but you're close. The deal is that Pauley DID reach the end of her contract - and both sides shook hands and walked away. Pauley, because she's tired of doing Doltline NBC, and NBC because the show would be just as profitable, if not more so, with someone else intro-ing the stories along with Stoned Phillips. Plus 27 years is a darned good career - not too many people work at one place that long.

When Dateline started, they needed her name. Now they don't. And she doesn't need the hassle or the money. So that's th' deal.

Michael

[Vinnie]

The Today Show "let Jane go" in about 1982, so they could bring in the "babe" Deborah Norville

If I remember correctly, Bryant Gumbel was the driving force behind this. He wanted a new babe.

Between Jane and Katie, I'll take Jane. But I don't watch either.

[Dont Mention the War]

[Dont Mention the War]

The Today Show "let Jane go" in about 1982, so they could bring in the "babe" Deborah Norville.

No, it was much later than that, around 1988 or '89.

[husky ed]

Jane who?

[Eowyn-of-Rohan]

Yes you are right...the 80s are just a big blur to me

[pray4liberty]

Hey, after 27 years, the woman is entitled to her private life, and at least a year off! Maybe NBC is a sinking ship and she's too smart to go down with them.

Can't say the same for Botox Katie, though.

[cricket]

"ditto"

. . .'double dittos'. . .

[NEWwoman]

Just wondering and half kidding. Is her next phase being part of the liberal talk radio/TV movement to counter Rush, Sean Hannity, etc.?

[pray4liberty]

Maybe Jane and Botox Katie don't get along.

[Mamzelle]

My favorite Pauley memory...her interview of Marilyn Quayle. It seems that Mrs. Quayle's mom used to play religious tapes when Marilyn was a little girl. Pauley kept bring this up during the interview, clearly implying that this was really a creepy thing for Marilyn's mom to have done and that it probably left Marilyn hopelesssly tainted. There was a nasty smirkiness to JP's demeanor, a real junior-high-school girl's-locker room meanness. Couldn't stand her from that day, and stopped watching. Later on, I thought she had dropped completely from sight, but I guess I haven't watched her where she landed.

Both the Trudeau's have a weird thing about the Quayles. Gary Trudeau supported the "Speedway Bomber" (in jail for injuring a family with bombs) because the jailbird claimed to have some dirt on Dan Quayle.

Later on, Trudeau used a hissing bomb to be the "icon" for Newt Gingrich. Wonder if Trudeau also has a thing for bombs? Nah, he just doesn't have enough artistic talent to actually draw Newt.

His cartoons look as if they're generated by stencils. No talent.

[boknows]

Sure, why not.

[Paul Atreides]

Please Jane, try to become the liberal Rush. I would enjoy seeing a good crash and burn.