NBC Fires Matt Lauer

These are good questions! Now let's do Ailes and O'Reilly, just for fun. I know y0u're a fan of diligent journalism, after all.

 

Andy Lack is going to lose his job.

The statement he put out, making it sound like he first learned of a problem with Matt Lauer on Monday, will be his demise.

 

Man, does that ever smack of, "Sure, we got scooped, but just so you know, we were on that story!"

 

Let’s not forget who else was a huge star on NBC!



And also:

 

I agree 100%

The problem here is that Ailes was the boss, and was making so much money for Murdoch, that FOX was pretty hands off with him.

But, if higher ups at FOX —including Rupert or his sons — were aware, there needs to be a price to pay.

 

Well. This is awkward.

 

I think the lactate line is in reference to the other women making baby-crying noises. I hope so. MORE WHISKEY FOR MY CEREAL.

 

Not at all. This was NBC getting ahead of a story. Happens all the time.

NBC wanted to try to control the narrative and the damage.

Variety had to give NBC a chance to respond, and this is the risk you always face in these circumstances. Subjects themselves will often turn to a more favorable news organization when faced with a story like this. It’s why you wait until you’re close to publishing, and give them a tight deadline to respond.

In this case, NBC was likely tipped off, as Weinstein was, by other folks who were talked to as a part of the Variety/Times investigations. NBC went public just before the stories broke.

 

I mean, they'd literally paid out MILLIONS in sexual harassment settlements for both men. Of course they knew. Ailes booker said he'd harassed her for 20 years, and that Fox knew and did nothing. He fired Carlson BEFORE she filed a suit against him, and then they had Neil Cavuto go on the air and call his accusers "sick." It's the same deal. Lauer made NBC a shit ton of money. So did Ailes and BillO for Fox.

 

Don't disagree with a thing you said. The problem is with the after-the-fact ass-cover.

 

Yeah, I posted at the time that Lauer seemed oddly confrontational with Feldman during that interview. It was jarring and uncomfortable.

Lauer had to know this could be coming, right? In today's climate, there seem to be no stones that are going unturned. If he knew these reports were probably going to come out, did he prepare for this eventuality -- or did his hubris make him believe it couldn't happen to him?

I'm also interested how his contract reads, as in, what kind of severance package does he get, if any? And how much will he eventually pay in civil damages, if any?

If you're Lauer, how do you explain this to your wife and your teenage son?

I have a lot of questions but no answers. This correction -- if it actually becomes that -- has been long overdue, long overdue.

 

He and his wife went through a pretty nasty divorce several years ago.