SEXUAL HARASSMENT CLAIMS LEAD TO FIRINGS
Lauer tossed; NBC suspects case not isolated
America woke up without another one of the most recognizable faces in morning television Wednesday as the rapid- fire sexual harassment allegations rocking Hollywood and Washington brought down one of the most prominent figures.
Savannah Guthrie announced at the top of the Today show that her former co- anchor, Matt Lauer, had been fired.
Hours after the announcement, Garrison Keillor, the radio host whose name is nearly synonymous with A
Prairie Home Companion, joined Lauer on the list of high- profile men accused of sexual harassment and assault and summarily dismissed, including Lauer’s CBS morning show counterpart Charlie Rose.
Once- tolerated or shrugged- off be-
havior has become the undoing of previously untouchable men. Lauer’s case is one of the most high- profile and may be particularly problematic for NBC. The Today show, NBC’s crown jewel, rakes in nearly $ 500 million a year in ad revenue. Lauer has been the face of the program for more than 20 years.
It’s another black eye for NBC News leadership, headed by Chairman Andrew Lack, a close friend of Lauer’s.
This month, NBC News fired Matt Zimmerman, former senior vice president for booking, after learning multiple women had accused him of inappropriate conduct. Zimmerman was a booker for Today and close with Lauer.
Lauer, 59, has been a part of many viewers’ mornings since being named co- anchor of NBC’s morning news program in 1997, covering everything from the Olympics to presidents.
“Media companies are covering sexual harassment accusations so frequently now that they have to maintain their credibility internally,” said Jonathan Klein, a former U. S. president of CNN. News executives can’t fairly report on accusations if they overlook their own companies’ transgressions, he said.
“You can’t define a legacy in one day, but this is part of his biography, part of his career, ( as it is) with so many others, too. You have to rethink things,” said Ron Simon, curator of television and radio at the Paley Center for Media. Considering allegations against Lauer and Rose on morning news shows that seek to bond with viewers, “you’re never quite sure whether you really know ( the people on TV). In morning news, you have to feel comfortable with the person … delivering the news,” Simon said.
Hours after Lauer was terminated from NBC for “inappropriate workplace behavior,” Variety published the results of a two- month investigation focusing on three women who identified themselves as victims of sexual harassment by Lauer.
The women, who the trade publication said wished to remain anonymous for fear of professional repercussions, said Lauer used his position of power over NBC employees who would be reticent to complain because of his prominent position in the company.
According to the outlet, which interviewed dozens of former and current staffers, “work and sex were intertwined” for Lauer, who developed a pattern of inviting women late at night to hotel rooms or his secluded office within 30 Rockefeller Center.
In one instance, Lauer allegedly summoned a female employee to his office and exposed himself before reprimanding her for declining to engage in a sexual act, the outlet reported.
Joined by Hoda Kotb, Savannah Guthrie read a memo sent to NBC staff from Lack on Tuesday about the dismissal of her co- anchor.
Guthrie said she didn’t know more than what she shared with viewers, but she was upset. “I’m heartbroken for Matt. He is my dear, dear friend and my partner, and he is beloved by many, many people here,” Guthrie said. “And, I’m heartbroken for the brave colleague who came forward to tell her story and any other women who have their own stories to tell.”