Today (NBC program)

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Today

Today title card
Genre News program, Live Action
Created by Sylvester L. Weaver Jr.
Presented by 7:00am-10:00am
Matt Lauer
(1994-Present)
Meredith Vieira
(2006-Present)
Al Roker
(1996-Present)
Ann Curry
(1997-Present)
Natalie Morales
(2006-Present)
10:00-11:00am
Kathie Lee Gifford
(2008-Present)
Hoda Kotb
(2007-Present)
Other
Willard Scott
(1980-Present)
Gene Shalit (1973-Present)
Slogan There's More Today Everyday
Country of origin Flag of the United States United States
No. of episodes 20,718 (as of January 1, 2008)
Production
Executive
producer(s)		 Malcolm Solomon
Location(s) Studio 1A, Rockefeller Center
Running time 240 minutes (4 hours)
Broadcast
Original channel NBC
Picture format 480i (SDTV),
1080i (HDTV)
Original run January 14, 1952 – present
External links
Official website
IMDb profile
TV.com summary
U.S. morning television shows edit
Networks
ABC Good Morning America
CBS The Early Show
NBC Today
Cable
BBC World News Today
CNBC Squawk Box
Squawk on the Street
CNN American Morning
FNC Fox & Friends
America's Newsroom
FBN Money for Breakfast
The Opening Bell
HLN Morning Express
MSNBC Morning Joe
RFD-TV Imus in the Morning
Spanish
UNI ¡Despierta América!
TMD Cada Día
Syndication
The Daily Buzz
Live with Regis and Kelly
The Morning Show

The Today Show, officially known as Today, is an American morning news and talk show airing weekday mornings on NBC. Debuting on January 14, 1952, it was the first of its genre, spawning similar morning news and entertainment television programs across the United States and around the world. The show is also the third-longest running American television series. Today has been the highest-rated morning news and talk show in the United States since the week of December 11, 1995. Originally a two-hour program on weekdays, it expanded to Sundays in 1987 and Saturdays in 1992. The weekday broadcast expanded to three hours in 2000 and to four hours in 2007; it currently airs for two hours on Saturday and one hour on Sunday.

Contents

[edit] History

The show's first broadcast aired on January 14, 1952. It was the brainchild of Pat Weaver, who was then vice-president of NBC. Weaver was president of the company from 1953 to 1955 (during which time Today's late-night companion, The Tonight Show, premiered), and then served as chairman of the board for another year. Pat Weaver is the father of actress Sigourney Weaver.

Today was the first show of its genre when it signed on with original host Dave Garroway. The show blends national news headlines, in-depth interviews with newsmakers, lifestyle features, other light news and gimmicks (including the presence of the chimpanzee J. Fred Muggs as the show's mascot during the early years), and local station news updates. It has spawned several other shows of a similar type, including ABC's Good Morning America, and CBS' The Early Show.

Dave Garroway opening the first edition of Today
Dave Garroway opening the first edition of Today

In other countries the format was copied - most notably in the United Kingdom with the BBC's Breakfast and ITV's Good Morning Britain and in Canada with Canada AM on CTV.

When Today started, it was seen live only in the Eastern and Central time zones, broadcasting three hours per morning but seen for only two hours in each time zone. Later, Today aired live for five hours a morning on Monday morning, but it was seen for only two consecutive hours in each of the four U.S. continental time zones. Since 1958, Today is tape-delayed for the different time zones. For many years it was a two-hour program from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. in all time zones except for Alaska, Hawaii and U.S. Virgin Islands, until NBC expanded it to three hours (until 10:00 a.m. in all time zones but Alaska, Hawaii and U.S. Virgin Islands) on October 2, 2000. In some markets (such as Boston, Massachusetts, on WHDH-TV), the third hour of Today is tape-delayed by an hour and airs at 10 a.m. A fourth hour was added on September 10, 2007.

The show is currently hosted by Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira. Al Roker does national weather updates, signaling the thirty-second cutaway to local forecasting with the outcue, "That's what's going on around the country, here’s what’s happening in your neck of the woods." (If an affiliate has no weather update, there is no NBC affiliate in the area, or if viewers are watching the show internationally or from the Rockefeller Plaza, a national summary of temperatures from Roker is shown instead.) Ann Curry reads news headlines. Natalie Morales is a national correspondent and co-host of the third hour, contributing throughout. Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford serve as the fourth-hour co-hosts. Gene Shalit is the entertainment critic, and Peter Greenberg is the travel editor. Roker, Curry, and Morales interview guests and take part in other segments in addition to their weather and news duties during the 9 a.m. hour. Vieira's role as host of the syndicated game show Who Wants to be a Millionaire contractually prohibits her from appearing on Today after the show's first two hours. Also, former Today Show weatherman Willard Scott sends birthday wishes to centenarians twice weekly and occasionally subs for Roker. NBC News White House correspondent David Gregory is a substitute host for Matt Lauer. Newsreader Curry often subs for Vieira. Bob Dotson, Jamie Gangel, Jenna Wolfe, and Tiki Barber are National Correspondents for Today. Kelly O'Donnell covers the day's events at the White House while Tim Russert (host of NBC's Meet the Press on Sunday mornings) offers commentary on current political news (MSNBC's Chris Matthews sometimes subs for Russert). Jean Chatzky, editor-at-large for Money Magazine, provides weekly financial segments.

[edit] Studio

The show broadcasts from Studio 1A in Rockefeller Center, New York, just across the street from NBC headquarters at the GE Building.

The Today program first originated from the RCA Exhibition Hall on 49th Street in a space now occupied by the Christie's auction house, just down the block from the current studio. The first set placed a functional newsroom in the studio, which Garroway called "the nerve center of the world." Gradually, machines and personnel were placed behind the scenes to assemble the news and weather reports, and the newsroom was gone by 1955. In 1958, the show moved across the street to Studio 3K in the RCA Building, where it remained through the early 1960s. On July 9, 1962, the show returned to a streetside studio in the space then occupied by the Florida Showcase. On September 13, 1965, Today moved back to the RCA Building. The network's news programming went to all-color broadcasts at that time, and NBC could not justify allocating four (then-expensive) color cameras to the Florida Showcase studio. For the next twenty years, the show occupied a series of studios on the third, sixth, and eighth floors of NBC's headquarters; most notably Studio 3K in the 1970s, Studio 8G (adjacent to Studio 8H, home to Saturday Night Live) in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and finally Studio 3B from 1983 to 1994. Today moved to the current streetside studio in June 1994, providing a link to the show's 1950s origins.

Since the premiere of the 1990s set, the morning shows of each of the major broadcast and cable-news networks has moved streetside -- including two of Today's Rockefeller Center neighbors, Fox News' Fox & Friends and CNN's American Morning. (In summer 2005, CNN reversed the trend, abandoning its street-level studio and moving upstairs in the Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle.) ABC's Good Morning America broadcasts from Times Square Studios.

The Today outdoor studio as seen at the Torino Winter Olympic Games in 2006.
The Today outdoor studio as seen at the Torino Winter Olympic Games in 2006.

In 2006, Studio 1A underwent a major renovation to prepare for 1080i high-definition broadcasting. After the departure of Katie Couric and while a new set was readied (Summer of 2006), the program was broadcast from a temporary outdoor studio in Rockefeller Plaza, the same set NBC used at the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece and Torino, Italy (see the Couric Leaves, Vieira Enters section below for more). [1] During the week of August 28, 2006, the show was moved to a temporary location outside of Studio 1A because MTV was converting the Outdoor Studio into their Red Carpet booth for the 2006 MTV Video Music Awards. A mock set was set up in Dateline's studio, also used during inclement weather. Also, they used a temporary outdoor set at 30 Rock.

On September 13, 2006, Today moved into its brand new set. The new studio is divided into five different parts on the lower level. It includes the interview area, the couch area, the news desk, the performance/interview/extra space area, and home base, which is where the anchors start the show. A gigantic Panasonic 103-inch plasma monitor is often used for graphic display backgrounds. There is also an upstairs that is home to Today's kitchen. The blue background that is seen in the opening of the show in home base moves up and down to allow a view of the outside from the home base. The program’s concerts are now broadcast in Dolby Digital 5.1-channel surround sound. The weekday director is Joe Michaels.

[edit] Personnel

[edit] Anchors

Today anchors started out as "Communicators." Creator Pat Weaver envisioned a person whose responsibilities would go beyond the bounds of traditional sit-down news anchors. The Communicator would interview, report, moderate dialogue and generally tie the show together into a coherent whole. Garroway and his successors have all followed that model, with little variation. Today, the hosts are expected to do much the same, and on any given day will talk with correspondents, newsmakers and lifestyle experts; introduce and close each half-hour; conduct special segments (such as cooking or fashion) and go on-assignment to host the program from different locations. Although the "Communicator" nomenclature has since dropped out of favor, the job remains largely the same. The principal anchors/hosts of the show have included:

Barbara Walters became a co-host in 1966, but did not have the official title until 1974. [3]

[edit] News anchors

From the show's inception, the idea of providing the latest news has been critical to the function of the program. In that vein, there has always been at least one person on set whose job it is to prepare and deliver newscasts. In 1952, that person was called Today's "news editor" or (informally) "news chief." In modern parlance, the term "newsreader" or "news anchor" is preferred. Under the two-hour format, four newscasts would be delivered, once every half-hour. Now there are only three newscasts, delivered at the top of each hour. Some anchors, including Jim Fleming, Lew Wood, Floyd Kalber and John Palmer, were seasoned journalists before joining the program. Others, including Ann Curry, have used the position to increase their journalistic acumen, at times leaving the newsdesk behind to venture into the field. News anchors have included the following:

(*From 1979-1981, Jane Pauley and Tom Brokaw read the news headlines.)

[edit] Weather reporters

For the program's first 25 years, weather reports were delivered by the host or newsreader. Dave Garroway would draw the day's weather fronts and areas of precipitation on a big chalkboard map of the United States, based on information gathered earlier in the morning from the U.S. Weather Bureau in Washington, D.C. Subsequent hosts John Chancellor and Hugh Downs dropped the chalkboard weather map concept and instead read a prepared weather summary over a still image of a weather map. When the show went to all-color broadcasts in 1965, weather maps were prepared and projected on a screen behind Frank Blair, who would deliver the forecast immediately after his news summaries. Under the old two-hour format, weather reports would be delivered every half-hour after the newscast. Today, the weather is still given every half-hour, but follows the news only at the top of the hour.

Garroway, Blair and others had no practical experience or academic credentials in meteorology. Today weather reporters have included:

[edit] Regular panelists

The job of "panelist" has no set definition. Panelist duties can range from conducting interviews to reporting on a number of topics in-studio and in the field. Regular panelists on the program include the following:

[edit] Today Girls

From 1952 to 1964, a notable member of the cast was a woman, often an entertainer, called the Today Girl. Usually, the Today Girl would discuss fashion and lifestyle, cover lighter-fare stories or engage in verbal jousting with Garroway. Estelle Parsons was the first person to hold the job, though her title was "Women's Editor" for the program. Upon her departure in 1955, the Today Girl name was adopted. The last Today Girl was Barbara Walters, who was promoted to co-host alongside Hugh Downs in 1966. No one was chosen to replace her.

[edit] Controversies and transitions

[edit] "Memogate"

In 1989, Gumbel wrote a memo to Today Show executive producer Marty Ryan, which was critical of other Today Show personalities. This memo was leaked to the press. In the memo, Gumbel commented that Willard Scott, "holds the show hostage to his assortment of whims, wishes, birthdays and bad taste...This guy is killing us and no one's even trying to rein him in". He commented that Gene Shalit's movie reviews "are often late and his interviews aren't very good."[4]

There was enough negative backlash in regard to Gumbel's comments toward Scott, that Gumbel was shown making up with Scott on The Today Show.[5]

[edit] Pauley-Norville

By 1989, Norville replaced Palmer at the Today newsdesk and he assumed her previous role on Sunrise. She also began substituting for Tom Brokaw on NBC Nightly News. Shortly after Norville's appointment as Today's news anchor, the decision was made to feature Norville as an unofficial third host. Whereas Palmer had read the news from a desk separate from where Gumbel and Pauley sat, Norville was seated alongside the program's hosts at the opening and closing of every show. Before long, gossip columns and media observers predicted that NBC would remove Jane Pauley from the program and replace her with Norville in an effort to improve the program's recently declining viewership by young women, the demographic most coveted by morning shows.

By late 1989, it was announced that 13-year veteran Jane Pauley would leave Today at the end of the year. NBC, as expected, announced that Norville would become co-host. An emotional Norville hugged Pauley on the air after the announcement was made, and many at NBC hoped the negative press generated by Norville's increased presence on the program would end. It did not. Prior to the announcement of Pauley's departure, much of the criticism had focused on Norville's youth and beauty, with many branding her "the other woman" and a "home wrecker," in a reference to what some felt seemed like her intent on "breaking up" the television marriage of Gumbel and Pauley.

Negative press only heightened after the announcement of Pauley's resignation, and Norville was put under a gag order by NBC brass which prevented her from defending herself from the widespread and erroneous reports that she somehow orchestrated her rise on Today. In January 1990, the new anchor team of Bryant Gumbel and Deborah Norville, minus Jane Pauley, debuted with disastrous results. Ratings for the program began to plummet. Critics felt that Gumbel and Norville lacked chemistry and many loyal viewers began turning to rival ABC's Good Morning America (GMA).

By the end of 1990, Today, the longtime dominant program, was officially the second place morning show behind GMA, and most of the blame was pinned on Norville. By the outbreak of The Gulf War in 1991, Norville saw her role as co-host continually minimized. Today aired special editions of the program called America at War, with Gumbel anchoring most of the show alone. It was not uncommon for Norville not to even make an appearance until the two hour show's second half hour. In addition, she was directed not to initiate conversation on the show and only speak when asked a question by Gumbel. Norville left the show for maternity leave in February 1991. It was announced that Katie Couric would substitute co-host during Norville's absence. Ratings for the program rose immediately following Norville's departure and Couric's arrival.

Midway though her maternity leave, Norville was interviewed by People. In the story, she avoided conversation about her recent trouble on Today, and instead focused on her newborn baby boy. She was photographed breastfeeding her son, a seemingly innocuous event, but NBC management was said to be greatly displeased by this, believing the photo to be in poor taste. By April 1991, in light of improved ratings on Today and NBC's displeasure at the People photograph, it was announced that Norville would not return to Today and that Katie Couric had been named the program's co-host. Norville, it was disclosed, would continue to be paid in accordance with her contract, although she would no longer appear on any NBC News programs.

[edit] Rumored Couric-Lauer feud

Beginning in 2004 there were rumors that Katie Couric and Matt Lauer were in the midst of a feud.[citation needed] Reports say that this was due to Katie Couric's prominence, that she was generally perceived as handling the news program, and that she was the only person who could guarantee high ratings for a morning news program. Some reports also stated that Couric became a bit too proud (some say obnoxious) because of this and began to offend co-host Matt Lauer and the rest of the cast. Couric denied these reports, saying that she was rather hurt by them.[citation needed]

[edit] Couric leaves, Vieira enters

On Wednesday April 5, 2006, Katie Couric announced on her fifteenth anniversary as co-host of Today that she would leave Today and NBC News at the end of May to become the new anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News. Katie Couric's final broadcast was aired on May 31, 2006. The day's show was dedicated to Couric's fifteen years as one of the show's co-hosts, and celebrated her move to the anchor chair at CBS, where she also became a correspondent for the network's Sunday night program 60 Minutes. Couric said during the show, "It's been a pleasure hosting this program, and thank you for fifteen great years." A special video presentation was broadcast, recapping her best moments and news stories on Today during her fifteen years.

The day after Couric's announcement, Meredith Vieira announced on ABC's The View, where she then served as a host, that she would take over as Lauer's co-anchor in September. Lauer and Vieira began co-hosting together on September 13, 2006.

On June 1, 2006 (the day after Couric's departure) NBC News announced that for the summer of 2006 Today would move to a temporary outdoor studio as Studio 1A was going through renovations to prepare for high-definition. On that same day, NBC News launched a new advertisement promoting Vieira's arrival. For the summer of 2006, Couric's anchor seat was filled with various hosts, mostly consisting of Campbell Brown, Ann Curry, and Natalie Morales (all of whom were considered candidates to replace Couric), until Vieira took over that fall.

Lauer's contract has been secured for the future years. He has signed through 2011 and has gotten a sizable salary increase.

[edit] Jane Fonda's use of vulgar language

At approximately 8:20 a.m. on February 14, 2008, Jane Fonda used the word "cunt" during a live interview on a segment about The Vagina Monologues. “Well, it wasn’t that I wasn’t a big fan. I hadn’t seen the play. I live in Georgia, okay? I was asked to do a monologue called ‘Cunt,’ and I said ‘I don’t think so, I got enough problems.’”

Apology

At approximately 8:40 a.m. before a commercial break, Meredith Vieira apologized for the incident. She explained that neither Fonda nor NBC intended to offend any of the viewers. "It was a slip and obviously, she apologizes and so do we. We would do nothing to offend the audience, so please accept that apology." For the Midwest, Mountain, and West Coast feeds, NBC silenced the word and covered Fonda's face with a still photo of her.[6] [7]

Reaction

“There is no excuse for airing one of the most patently offensive words in the English language on broadcast television, especially at the breakfast hour. If an NBC employee used the word 'cunt' to another employee, that employee would be suspended or even fired," said Parents Television Council President Tim Winter. [8]

[edit] Brand extensions

The first brand extension was created in 1982. Early Today was conceived as a lead-in for Today. It even had the same anchors, Bryant Gumbel and Jane Pauley. The program was conceived so local stations could carry the full hour or one of the two half-hours. After a year NBC cancelled the program, after concluding that the show was too similar to Today. It was replaced by NBC News at Sunrise anchored by Connie Chung.

In 1999, NBC cancelled NBC News at Sunrise and created two brand extensions for Today. One was Early Today (not to be confused with the earlier incarnation). Replacing NBC News at Sunrise, the program originally was produced by CNBC and focused on business and financial news before switching to general news under the same production staff as MSNBC First Look; it continues to air on many NBC affiliates. Also in the of fall 1999, Later Today, a talk show that was intended to air immediately following the then two-hour Today, was launched with hosts Jodi Applegate, Florence Henderson and Asha Blake. Sagging ratings for that show caused its cancellation in August 2000; it was replaced two months later by a third hour of Today.

[edit] Expanding to four hours

On September 10, 2007, NBC expanded the show to four hours, stretching the top-rated and highly profitable show into the late morning. NBC made the formal announcement Wednesday, January 17, at its press tour sessions, confirming a number of reports about the extra hour. The show currently airs from 7:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. on most stations, although some affiliates may air the fourth hour at another time of the day. Ann Curry, Natalie Morales and Al Roker currently host the third hour of Today; Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb currently host the fourth hour. The fourth hour of Today competes with ABC's The View and CBS's The Price is Right in most markets in the Central and Pacific time zones, but most Eastern time stations air it live one hour before those programs. NBC cancelled daytime soap opera Passions (which moved to DirecTV-exclusive channel The 101) to make room for the fourth hour.

[edit] Music

Today Show host Dave Garroway selected Les Brown's Sentimental Journey as the program's very first theme, used during the entire Garroway era from 1952 to 1961. In 1962, when Hugh Downs became host, Django Reinhardt's Melodie au Crepuscule was chosen as the new theme; it was replaced in 1963 by Misty, an instrumental ballad composed by Erroll Garner and performed by Bobby Hackett and John B. Seng.[9]

Misty served as Today’s theme until 1971, when NBC News correspondent Frank McGee joined the show. Composer Ray Ellis penned an entirely new instrumental theme entitled This is Today, a jazzy, up-tempo piece that served as the program's main theme until 1978. Because This is Today closely resembled the theme Day by Day from the musical Godspell, Ellis was successfully sued for copyright infringement and This is Today was revised. The second version of This is Today incorporated the familiar NBC chime signature (G-E-C) in a bright, appropriately sunny arrangement that was used until 1981, at the close of the Tom Brokaw-Jane Pauley era.[10] The G-E-C signature was also used throughout the program to introduce and conclude segments, usually in combination with the familiar Today Show sunburst.

By 1982, Today had a new anchor, Bryant Gumbel, and a new version of Ellis' This is Today theme, a looser, more relaxed arrangement that continued to feature the NBC chimes in its melody. A shorter arrangement of This is Today was used for the show open (featuring a rotating globe and Today sunburst) from 1983 to 1985. The main theme was used until 1985, and due to its popularity with viewers was resurrected as the show's secondary theme in January 1993.

1985 saw the end of the synthesizer era at NBC as composer John Williams wrote a series of themes for all NBC News programs, with a cut entitled The Mission serving as the principal theme for NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw. Williams also composed two themes for Today: an opening fanfare for the program that was derived from the opening of The Mission; and a two-minute closing theme for the show entitled Scherzo for Today, a dramatic arrangement that made heavy use of strings and flutes. In the late 1980s, Scherzo was played in its entirety multiple times daily during the weather scrolls that ran during local commercial breaks; however, most NBC affiliates preempted these segments with advertising. The new Today themes -- used in tandem with the show's new opening sequence featuring the Statue of Liberty and a new living room studio set -- gave the program a distinctly modern look and sound beginning in September 1985. A series of Williams-penned bumpers featuring the Mission signature were also used to open and close segments.

Scherzo for Today was used as the program's closing theme until 1990, and the Mission bumpers were used until 1993. (One of them could be heard as a station break lead-in on NBC's Meet The Press until 2004.) Today opening fanfare has opened the program ever since, with two exceptions. In the summer of 1994, to mark the debut of Studio 1A, the Williams-penned fanfare was replaced by another opening theme, but the Williams theme returned shortly thereafter. In 2004, the show's producers tried out yet another theme, which drew once again on the NBC chimes as its signature, but the Williams theme returned after only a few weeks. It is by far the most enduring theme in the program's history, having now been in use for over two decades.

The Scherzo for Today was iconically accompanied by Fred Facey announcing "From NBC News, this is Today..." until his death in April 2003. His announce could be heard until Katie Couric left on May 31, 2006, except for special editions requiring special introductions. Facey's work is now only heard on the MSNBC program Headliners and Legends. With the addition of Vieira, Les Marshak began announcing the introduction as of September 13, 2006 (Marshak had already been the announcer for Weekend Today).[11]

Currently, a lighter theme employing the NBC chimes is used to open the show's 7:30 through 9:30 half-hour segments, and also used as a closing theme.

On June 1, 2006, Today launched a new ad campaign to let people know about their new co-host Meredith Vieira. The "It's a New Day Today" campaign ran up until September 13, when Meredith officially became the new co-host of Today. This theme was also used April 7, 2008 for the intro on the 4th hour to welcome Kathie Lee Gifford. However, many stations continue to use the song to promote their local morning shows that lead in to Today.

[edit] Weekend Today

Main article: Weekend Today

The Sunday edition of Today debuted on September 20, 1987. Five years later on August 1, 1992, the Saturday edition debuted expanding the Today schedule to seven days a week. The show is broadcast from Studio 1A in Rockefeller Plaza, the same location as its weekday counterpart. The Sunday broadcast airs for one hour, and the Saturday broadcast for two hours. The Sunday edition originally aired for 90 minutes, but gave up half an hour to an expanded Meet the Press in 1992. The weekend broadcasts continue the Today tradition of covering breaking news, interviewing newsmakers, reporting on a variety of popular-culture and human-interest stories, covering health and finance issues and presenting the latest weather reports. NBC airs the Saturday edition from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and the Sunday edition from 8:00 a.m to 9:00 a.m. (both Eastern Time), although many of the network's affiliates air local newscasts in those time slots and carry the network broadcast later in the morning. In addition, the show offers visitors to New York City a chance to observe firsthand the workings of a live television broadcast with its windowed studio on Rockefeller Plaza. Interaction with the crowd outside the studio is a major part of the program. Most recently, MSNBC correspondent Amy Robach succeeded Campbell Brown, who left NBC for CNN.

Weekend editions are tailored to the priorities and interests of weekend viewers—offering special series such as Saturday Today on the Plaza, featuring live performances by the biggest names in music and Broadway outside the studio throughout the summer.

Current anchors-

Former anchors -

[edit] Special editions

The designation "special edition" often applies to instances wherein one or both hosts anchor the program from a location other than Studio 1-A, or in the event of significant news developments. The expansion of an episode is not at all unusual, usually for planned long-duration news events such as presidential inaugurations or elections. The first such expanded edition came on January 20, 1953, with the inauguration of President Dwight D. Eisenhower. Breaking news can also extend the show's hours: during the London bombings on July 7, 2005, Today remained on the air for six hours, from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. EDT.

Most special editions are introduced as "From NBC News, this is a special edition of Today".

These are just some of the special editions of Today.

[edit] 1950s

When news of the death of Britain’s King George VI reached New York in the early morning hours of Wednesday, February 6, 1952, the plan for that morning’s show was thrown out and the program instead covered the monarch’s death.

Coverage of Dwight Eisenhower’s inauguration dominated the Tuesday, January 20, 1953, edition. Dave Garroway, Jack Lescoulie, and news anchor Jim Fleming were in Washington for the day’s coverage. NBC correspondent Merrill Mueller demonstrated the network’s first portable Vidicon television camera, employed for the first time that day.

Today offered long-form coverage of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom on Tuesday, June 2, 1953. NBC coordinated with the BBC to provide live audio of the ceremonies. Still pictures taken from television screens in London were faxed to the RCA Exhibition Hall studio, where Garroway would show them to viewers. Multiple correspondents from both NBC and the BBC offered commentary and analysis, both in-studio and on location at Westminster Abbey. Coronation coverage began at 5:30 a.m. EDT and concluded at 9:00 a.m. EDT.

The Thursday, July 26, 1956, edition of the show covered the overnight sinking of the Italian ocean liner SS Andrea Doria, which foundered off the coast of Massachusetts. Home-movie film of the aftermath, shot by a passenger, was secured by a Today producer and broadcast on the show. Reporters Paul Cunningham and Dick McCutcheon provided analysis of the collision and subsequent sinking.

On Monday, August 20, 1956, Garroway and Lescoulie hosted the show from San Francisco, part of NBC's coverage of the 1956 Democratic National Convention.

The week of September 2-6, 1957, Today originated from Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the first time an American network program broadcast from outside the United States for an extended period.

The entire first hour of the Wednesday, October 2, 1957, edition was dedicated to a discussion of racial issues in America, moderated by Dave Garroway. Guests included American Civil Liberties Union Chairman Ernest Angel, Reverend Theodore Braun, Mississippi Senator James Eastland, and National Urban League director Lester Granger. The hour mixed live discussion and commentary with taped reports from northern and southern cities.

The week of April 27-May 1, 1959, Today originated from Paris, France. Garroway and company spent a week in the French capital, focusing on the art, culture, history and politics of France. Brigette Bardot and Charles Van Doren appeared on the show. Interestingly, in the days before satellite communications, the Paris shows could not be broadcast live in the United States. Each day's edition was filmed in advance, developed, edited and flown back to New York to be shown the next morning. Both the Paris 1959 and Rome 1960 remotes were broadcast in this manner.

The September 19, 1959, edition of the show was dedicated to an in-depth examination of the life and politics of Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, tied to Krushchev's visit to the United States that week. Guests included reporters Martin Agronsky and Harrison Salisbury, along with George Allen, then-director of the U.S. Office of Information.

[edit] 1960s

The eighth anniversary show, broadcast on Thursday, January 14, 1960, was taped entirely in Washington, D.C. Garroway and company visited the Library of Congress. Garroway interviewed then-Senator Everett Dirksen and Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn. The cast toured the Supreme Court building and the White House, and Garroway delivered a commentary on the history of the White House while standing in front of the building.

In the last week of April 1960, Today traveled to Rome, Italy. The Spanish Steps and the Coliseum were toured. Garroway interviewed actor Peter Ustinov, and examples of the culture and society of Italy were demonstrated.

On November 23, 1963, Today aired a special three-hour Saturday program recapping the assassination of President John F. Kennedy the previous day. Host Hugh Downs, Jack Lescoulie, and newsreader Frank Blair anchored the broadcast. In the opening minutes, Downs noted that the atmosphere that day "was very different" from what he had ever previously experienced. Lescoulie recalled how traffic in New York City after the assassination was at a standstill, and that telephone circuits were jammed. Downs added that as the hours passed, the country's grief would turn into a "more historic kind of grief."

The morning of February 22, 1965, saw a special expanded edition covering the assassination of Malcolm X the day before. Today ran coverage until 11:00 a.m.

Following the launch of NASA's Early Bird satellite on May 3, 1965, Today cast and crew traveled to Europe for a special live broadcast of the show. Host Hugh Downs was stationed at Westminster Abbey in London, Barbara Walters was in Paris, Jack Lescoulie was in Amsterdam and Frank Blair reported from the steps of the U.S. Capitol in Washington. Pope Paul VI read a message live from the Vatican, marveling at the communications now possible between nations

The April 5, 1968 edition of the program covered the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. the day before, Today expanded until 10:00 a.m.

Thursday morning, June 6, 1968, saw a special edition continuing NBC's overnight coverage of the assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Today coverage ran until 10:00 a.m. EDT.

[edit] 1970s

October 15, 1971, saw an expanded edition of the show, broadcast live from Persepolis, Iran. The show commemorated the 2,500th anniversary of the Persian Empire. The program ran until 10:00 a.m. EDT.

On January 24, 1973, Today expanded to 3 hours and broadcast from Washington as Frank McGee and Barbara Walters reported on the latest developments in the cease-fire agreement to end the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War, as President Richard Nixon gave a speech to reach the agreement the night before. They also reported on the preparations in Washington for the state funeral of former president Lyndon B. Johnson, whose body was flown to Washington from Texas that morning.

The following day, Today expanded and broadcast from Washington in order to allow McGee and Walters to anchor live coverage of the state funeral for President Johnson. At 10:00 a.m., EST, the Today portion of coverage ended, with newscaster David Brinkley in Washington taking over from that point until the conclusion of the ceremony and analysis. McGee said before the handover, "This concludes a special extended edition of Today for final ceremonies for President Lyndon B. Johnson. NBC News will continue its coverage with commentary by David Brinkley after a quick pause for station identification."

On August 9, 1974, Today was expanded to 5 hours and broadcast from Washington to cover the resignation of President Richard Nixon. NBC News correspondent Douglas Kiker provided live commentary during Nixon's final speech from the White House and the family's departure via helicopter to California that morning. As with the funeral for President Johnson a year earlier, the main division of NBC News took over coverage from Today about thirty minutes or so before Gerald Ford took the oath of office, with then-Nightly News anchor John Chancellor and then-correspondent Ron Nessen commenting.

A special three-hour edition on July 15, 1975 covered the launch of Souyz 19. The Soyuz launch, a part of the Apollo-Soyuz Test Project, was the first Soviet launch ever telecast, a first for American television. Jim Hartz and Barbara Walters anchored.

[edit] 1980s

The show airing on December 9, 1980 was a special edition from New York as co-anchors Tom Brokaw and Jane Pauley covered the assassination of singer/songwriter and former Beatle John Lennon the night before. Multiple NBC News correspondents reported from The Dakota building in which reporters reported on Lennon's assassination, and the reaction of the shooting by his wife Yoko Ono.

The show airing on March 31, 1981 was broadcast from Washington, as part of its coverage of the assassination attempt on President Ronald Reagan the day before. Brokaw and Pauley anchored.

On May 14, 1981, Tom Brokaw was stationed in St. Peter's Square in Rome to cover the assassination attempt on Pope John Paul II the previous day.

On July 29, 1981, the program originated from London with Tom Brokaw and Jane Pauley commenting on the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Additional analysis was provided by Tina Brown.

Just before the 7:24 a.m. station break on the morning of October 6, 1981, word reached NBC of the shooting of Egyptian president Anwar Sadat. Tom Brokaw announced what was known at the time, then threw to the commercial break. Upon returning at 7:30, Brokaw began what turned out to be eight-and-a-half hours of coverage--a Today record. NBC's Cairo bureau chief Art Kent provided live telephone reports, as Egyptian television stations ceased broadcast in the chaotic aftermath of the shooting. In studio and over the phone, Brokaw interviewed experts on the Middle East, foreign policy and international relations until 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time.

The Today staff received news of the death of Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev on Thursday, November 11, 1982. Already planning an extended broadcast in order to cover a space shuttle launch, the program stayed with both stories, providing frequent updates until noon Eastern Time.

The week of May 20 to 24, 1985, Gumbel, Pauley and Scott took the show on the rails. The "Today Express" was a specially-outfitted passenger train that took the cast and crew to special broadcasts in Houston, New Orleans, Memphis, Indianapolis and Cincinnati.

August 19, 1985, brought Today back to its streetside roots with "Today at Night," a special primetime broadcast from the Channel Gardens at Rockefeller Center. Guests for the nighttime broadcast included then-House Speaker Tip O'Neill, and Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas of Miami Vice.

On Wednesday morning, January 29, 1986, a special edition covered the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster the previous day. Former astronauts David Scott and Alan Bean, former Flight Director Gerry Griffin and Senators Jake Garn and Pete Domenici were among the guests providing analysis and commentary on the tragedy.

On October 18, 1989, a special edition covered the Loma Prieta earthquake the day before.

[edit] 1990s

The show airing on April 20, 1995 was a special edition covering the Oklahoma City bombing the day before with Bryant Gumbel reporting from Oklahoma City.

The show airing on January 3, 1997 was a celebration of Bryant Gumbel's run on the program, the day before the 15th anniversary of his debut on January 4, 1982.

On September 6, 1997, the show was expanded in order to cover the funeral of Princess Diana. Matt Lauer anchored from Studio 1A in New York, while Katie Couric and Tom Brokaw anchored from Westminster Abbey in Britain. At 10:00 am, Brokaw took over coverage from inside Westminster Abbey.

The show airing on April 21, 1999, covered the Columbine High School Massacre with Matt Lauer in Studio 1A In Rockefeller Center in New York, and Katie Couric in Littleton, Colorado.

[edit] 2000s

The show airing on November 8, 2000, the morning after the contested presidential election in the United States, was the most-watched edition of the program in its history, with 12 million viewers, double the normal audience, tuning in.

When terrorists attacked the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001, Today was on the air. Matt Lauer announced that there was a breaking story in progress at 8:52 a.m. EDT, but threw to a commercial break when pictures were not available. Today returned indefinitely at 8:53 a.m. ET with Lauer, Couric, and Roker commenting on the events from the couch area of Studio 1A, initially reported as an accident. When United Flight 175 crashed at 9:02:58 a.m., it was seen live on the program. Katie Couric handled the initial reports of the attack on The Pentagon as Lauer joined Tom Brokaw at the anchor desk. The broadcast restarted at 10:30 a.m. EDT, moments after the collapse of One World Trade Center. Couric, Lauer and Brokaw anchored live coverage under the production of the Today team until 1 p.m. EDT when Brokaw anchored an NBC News Special Report from NBC News Headquarters in 30 Rockefeller Plaza. NBC News Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Andrea Mitchell wrote in her memoir Talking Back that her husband, then Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, received his first briefing on the attacks when she summarized events for Brokaw on the air with her cell phone in her lap. Couric and Lauer anchored a special report from 5 p.m. until 6:30 p.m. so Brokaw could prepare for a special, expanded edition of NBC Nightly News, airing from the observation deck atop 30 Rockefeller Plaza, and continuing NBC News live coverage throughout the evening. In the days following the attacks, Today was expanded to 6 hours each day for the remainder of the week that followed the attacks. On September 11, 2006, the fifth anniversary of the attacks, MSNBC replayed Today from five years earlier as it covered the attacks. MSNBC did it again on September 11, 2007.

The show airing on January 14, 2002 was a three-hour long celebration of the show's 50th anniversary. It was branded "A very special edition of 'Today.'" Anniversary shows often abandon typical format (outside of top-of-the-hour news updates) in favor of clips of old shows, interviews with previous hosts and other special segments tied to the occasion. For this show, the original opening music and intro to the show from 1952 was used, and several retrospectives were aired from former anchors, guests, producers, and handlers of J. Fred Muggs.

On September 11, 2002, the show was extended to six hours (broadcasting until 1 p.m. Eastern Time) for a special edition covering the anniversary of the terrorist attacks from one year earlier.

On April 9, 2003 Today aired live until noon EST when U.S. Troops entered Baghdad. Lester Holt was sitting in next to Katie Couric for Matt Lauer. Today coverage was restarted as an NBC News Special Report at 9:12 a.m. EST and Tom Brokaw joined Couric in Studio 1A until taking over the coverage from NBC News Headquarters in 30 Rockefeller Plaza at noon

When Pope John Paul II died on Saturday, April 2, 2005, Katie Couric and Matt Lauer anchored the weekend editions of the Today show. Lauer anchored from the Vatican with Campbell Brown offering reports by his side. On the day of the Pope's death, Couric anchored a special report on a Vatican statement updating the Pope's dire condition and Lauer reported for the special report anchored by Brian Williams when the Pope was officially dead. He returned to New York as Couric traveled to Vatican City to co-anchor coverage of the Pope's funeral with Williams.

Today aired a live, six-hour special edition similar to that of 9/11 after the 7/7 transit bombings in London on July 7, 2005. The program began at seven a.m. EDT as usual, but then went live in all time zones until one p.m. EDT, instead of the usual tape-delay format. The next day's show was labeled a special edition. Campbell Brown's large presence during that day's coverage, in addition to her presence on the show during the death of Pope John Paul II fueled speculation she would replace Couric in the near future.

Shows in the wake of Hurricane Katrina often carried the "special edition" branding, as Katie Couric, Campbell Brown, Lester Holt and others were stationed along the Gulf Coast instead of Studio 1-A.

The show airing on May 31, 2006 was a three-hour long celebration of Katie Couric's run on the show.

On July 12, 2006, Matt Lauer traveled to St. Petersburg, Russia, airing his interview with Russian President, Vladimir Putin.

On August 10, 2006, in response to the foiled terror plot in London, Today broadcast live in its timeslot for all timezones, and Matt Lauer anchored three NBC News Special Reports live in all time zones, at 6 a.m. EDT to report on the details of the story, at 8 a.m. EDT when U.S. counter-terrorism officials held a news conference at the Department of Homeland Security in Washington, D.C., and at 11:45 a.m. when President George W. Bush made remarks upon landing in Wisconsin from just outside Air Force One.

On Tuesday, August 29, 2006, Today marked the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's landfall. Matt Lauer and Ann Curry anchored from 30 Rock in New York, while Brian Williams, Campbell Brown, Lester Holt and many other NBC News correspondents reported from the Gulf Coast. The show featured interviews with New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and former FEMA Director Michael Brown, and first lady Laura Bush.

Another long-format special edition was aired on Monday, September 11, 2006, to mark the fifth anniversary of the 2001 attacks. Matt Lauer anchored the coverage from Ground Zero and was joined by Tom Brokaw and Campbell Brown. Ann Curry was at the anchor desk in the temporary outdoor studio in Rockefeller Plaza. Lester Holt reported from the Pentagon and Natalie Morales was stationed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. For viewers in the New York Market, WNBC broke away from Today at 8:25 a.m. EDT to give detailed coverage of the observance at Ground Zero, anchored by Chuck Scarborough, as they have done every year.

Wednesday morning, September 13, 2006, Today and NBC News welcomed new co-host Meredith Vieira.

The show airing on January 2, 2007 covered the funeral of former president Gerald Ford with Meredith Vieira in Studio 1A in Rockefeller Plaza in New York and Matt Lauer in Washington and was cut to two hours to allow Brian Williams to assume coverage also from Washington.

The April 17 and 18, 2007, editions of the show covered the Virginia Tech massacre with Matt Lauer and Meredith Vieira reporting live on the campus of Virginia Tech. Tuesday's show ran for at least four hours, until 11 a.m. EDT.

On September 10, 2007, Today ran its premiere of the 4th hour with anchor Ann Curry and correspondents Natalie Morales, Hoda Kotb, and Tiki Barber.

From November 5 to 9, 2007, Today launched a miniseries of unprecedented broadcasts. "Today Goes to the Ends of the Earth" was a broadcast in which Matt Lauer reported from the Arctic Circle, Al Roker reported from the Equator and Ann Curry reported from McMurdo Station in Antarctica and on November 9 from the South Pole via videotape. Meredith Vieira tied the segments together, anchoring live from Studio 1-A. The effort was designed to highlight the causes and effects of global warming as a part of NBC Universal's "Green is Universal" campaign.

On Tuesday, November 20, 2007, a split edition billed as a "Thanksgiving Travel Countdown" placed Meredith Vieira at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, the nation's busiest. Other correspondents reported Chicago O'Hare International Airport and LaGuardia Airport. Matt Lauer remained in Studio 1-A.

On Tuesday, January 29, 2008, a special split edition live from London with Meredith Vieira anchoring from outside Buckingham Palace. She had an exclusive interview with Prince Andrew featuring updates on the British Royal Family.

On February 4 and February 5, Today covered the Super Tuesday primaries and caucuses with Matt Lauer, Meredith Vieira, Andrea Mitchell covering the Democratic side, and David Gregory covering the Republican side. Anchors were sent out to the big states, like California and Arizona.

On February 12, 2008, Meredith Viera and Al Roker were both live at Georgia Aquarium. They gave reported on information covering the aquarium and had reports on the fish and, how the crew feeds them and keep them healthy. This special edition was a split edition with Matt Lauer live in Studio 1-A.

On February 21 and February 22, The Today show left Studio 1A and start a two-day special called "Today Takes a Winter Break". On the first day, Lauer, Vieira, Curry and Roker broadcasted from Sugarbush Resort in Warren, Vermont. On the last day, the anchors broadcasted from South Beach in Miami, Florida.

On the April 7, 2008 edition of the program, Today and NBC welcomed Kathie Lee Gifford to the show. She will host the 4th hour of the show with Hoda Kotb. Natalie Morales and Ann Curry will appear more during the first 3 hours.

On Wednesday, April 16, 2008, and Saturday, April 19, 2008, special editions of Today featured Pope Benedict XVI's visit to the United States, billed as "The Pope Visits the USA." On April 16, the pontiff's 81st birthday, Today had a special split-edition. Meredith Vieira stayed in Studio 1A in New York and Matt Lauer hosted the show from the south lawn of the White House to cover the pope's meeting with President George W. Bush. On April 19, Benedict's third anniversary as pope, Weekend Today anchors Lester Holt and Jenna Wolfe moved outside to Rockefeller Center to cover the first papal mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City.

On Tuesday, April 22, 2008, a special edition of the third hour of Today was co-hosted by First Lady Laura Bush, the first time a first lady hosted a morning news program.

On Saturday, May 10, 2008, Weekend Today featured a special split edition coveing the wedding of Jenna Bush at the President's ranch outside Crawford, Texas. Co-anchor Lester Holt remained in New York City, while Amy Robach covered the wedding from Texas.

[edit] Traditional special editions

Every Thanksgiving Day (since 2000), Today is truncated to two hours as the Today crew host the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. The parade, produced by NBC's entertainment division and not NBC News, occupies what would normally be the show's third and fourth hours. During the two hours Today is on the air, Lester Holt and Ann Curry host Today from Studio 1A as the Today crew prepare to host the parade.

During coverage of presidential inaugurations or other major events scheduled in Washington, D.C., the show broadcasts from NBC's Capitol Hill studios at 400 North Capitol St. in Washington, D.C.

When special events such as award shows take place in Los Angeles, one or more anchors will host the show from NBC's Los Angeles bureau. For example on February 26, 2007, Al Roker reported live from outside the Kodak Theater the day after the Academy Awards.

[edit] Ratings

[edit] Week of March 18, 2008 [12]

  • Today: 5,600,000 viewers
  • Good Morning America (GMA): 4,400,000 viewers
  • The Early Show (TES): 2,700,000 viewers

[edit] Week of September 11, 2006

  • Today: 6,320,000 viewers
  • Good Morning America (GMA): 4,730,000
  • The Early Show (TES): 2,800,000

[edit] International broadcasts

NBC News programming is shown daily on the 24 hour news network Orbit News in Europe and the Middle East. This includes a live broadcast of Today.

In Australia, NBC Today airs 4:00-6:00am Tuesday to Saturday on the Seven network. Sunday's edition is broadcast at 4:10 a.m. Mondays, followed by Meet The Press. The program is condensed into a two-hour broadcast, with no local news inserted, however since April 2008 a news ticker (which later appears on Sunrise has appeared at the bottom of the screen. A national weather map of Australia is inserted during cut-aways to local affiliates for weather. Today is pre-empted by paid programming on regional Seven affiliates Prime and Golden West Network. The top three U.S. breakfast programs air simultaneously on Australian television with the CBS Early Show airing on Network Ten and Good Morning America on Nine.

Today is also shown in the Philippines on 2nd Avenue on RJTV with the weekday editions immediately airing after Early Today, which airs at 7.00 local time Tuesdays to Saturdays. Weekend Today airs Sundays and Mondays at 7.00 local time.

In the United Kingdom and across Europe, Today originally aired on Sky News between 1989 and 1993, and from 1993 and 1998 on NBC Europe. The show was initially aired live in the afternoons until 1995, when it was delayed until the next morning.

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ A New Dawn for 'Today’ - 8/21/2006 - Broadcasting & Cable
  2. ^ Barbara Walters Bio (html). abc.com (2006). Retrieved on 2006-09-05.
  3. ^ Barbara Walters Bio (html). abc.com (2006). Retrieved on 2006-09-05.
  4. ^ Monica Collins, "Memo to NBC: We Love Scott", USA Today, March 1, 1989.
  5. ^ Brian Donlon, "On Today, it's kiss and make up", USA Today, March 14, 1989.
  6. ^ http://www.redlasso.com/ClipPlayer.aspx?id=45607794-9819-40e8-908e-a72101d8c22a Jane Fonda Video
  7. ^ Newsvine - Jane Fonda Uses Vulgar Slang on `Today'
  8. ^ NBC Assaults Families with Offensive Language on Today Show
  9. ^ The Today Show / NBC Today Show
  10. ^ The Today Show / NBC Today Show
  11. ^ mediabistro.com: TVNewser
  12. ^ mediabistro.com: TVNewser

[edit] External links

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Anchors of Today
Garroway • Chancellor • Downs • McGee • Walters • Hartz • Brokaw • Pauley • Gumbel • Norville • Couric • Current Anchors: Lauer • Vieira