Media|'Today' Executive Out 10 Weeks After Hiring'Today' Executive Is Out 10 ...

Diposkan oleh silent aja 10:58 AM Post a Comment

In a new round of turmoil at the long-roiling NBC morning show 'Today,' Jamie Horowitz, a former ESPN executive brought in only 10 weeks ago to supervise the show, was fired Monday after what several people at the network said was a series of conflicts with members of the show's staff as well as the management of NBC News.

In a memo to the staff Monday evening, Deborah Turness, the president of NBC News, said that Mr. Horowitz was leaving his job because 'he and I have come to the conclusion that this is not the right fit.'

The move comes days after accounts circulated on The New York Post's gossip section, Page Six, that new personnel conflicts had arisen at 'Today' - which has had its share of those in recent years. The new trouble was described as being between the show's long-serving and popular news reader, Natalie Morales, and a newer member of the on-air team, Tamron Hall.

The stories were aggressively denied by NBC. But Mr. Horowitz's hand was suspected by some NBC insiders as being behind the new accounts of conflicts.

Mr. Horowitz had barely settled into his new role as general manager of 'Today,' having arrived in September after having been heavily recruited by Ms Turness.

The reports of new turbulence at 'Today' were especially upsetting for NBC News because the show is the news division's biggest profit center, and NBC has been touting a comeback in the ratings for the show, which has trailed ABC's 'Good Morning America' since 'Today' lost a seemingly impregnable lead in the morning ratings in 2012.

Ms. Turness has been portrayed as embattled in some reports, and Mr. Horowitz's name surfaced quickly as a possible successor, despite his short tenure and the fact that he has no network news background.

In her memo, Ms. Turness still called Mr. Horowitz a talented executive. But she and Patricia Fili-Krushel, the chairwoman of the NBCUniversal News Group, agreed that Mr. Horowitz had to be removed because of the friction surrounding him, executives with knowledge of the decision said Monday night.