‘Today’ show’s Kotb says authenticity got it through crisis

NEW YORK (AP) — The “Today” show’s Hoda Kotb (KAHT-bee) believes the program’s audience bonded with her and co-host Savannah Guthrie over how they dealt with Matt Lauer’s firing last November on sexual misconduct charges.

She says they didn’t pretend that nothing was wrong, like parents who insisted everything was fine when it wasn’t.

The NBC morning show weathered the storm better than anyone expected. It slipped past ABC’s “Good Morning America” into first place in the ratings for nearly two months, before ABC won the last two weeks. Now a trip to South Korea for the Olympics will put the spotlight on the show again.

Kotb subbed for Lauer on a couple of hours of notice and never left.

- Digital Sponsors -