It's Official...... Ann Curry Leaving Today Show

It's official after 15 years Ann Curry said goodbye to "Today" this morning. After many days of speculation she made it official today. With a heartfelt speech to the viewers with her co-host Lauer and Roker sitting beside her.

TMZ has the video of Ann saying goodbye here.

USA Today had the first interview with Curry Wednesday, before her big announcement today:

 "Going to be a bit of a tough day, I'm going to have to tell our viewers. That's what makes me more emotional than anything. I don't want to leave them. I love them. And I will really miss them."
Instead, Curry's new multiyear contract with NBC has her leading a seven-person unit with a ticket to cover the world's biggest stories, from the civil uprising in Syria to the plight of the poor in America. She'll produce network specials and pieces for NBC Nightly News, Dateline, Rock Center— and Today— and she'll occasionally fill in as anchor on Nightly News and elsewhere.

While she describes her new job as one that any journalist would crave, she makes no secret that the very public process that pushed her out of the co-host chair amid rumor-fed headlines has left wounds.

"I don't know who has been behind the leaks, but no question they've hurt deeply," she says. She admits she would have liked more time to work things out as co-host, and she bristles a bit at the suggestion that she lacked "chemistry" with co-host Matt Lauer.

"You know, Matt and I have had great on-air chemistry for 14 years, been part of the No. 1 winning team for a history-making number of years," she says. "That said, I just finished my freshman year as co-host. In every single co-host's first year, there have been kinks to be worked out, and perhaps I deserve as much blame for that as anyone."

Does she think she was given enough time to work out those kinks? "No, I do not," she says flatly.


Would she have liked more time? "Oh, sure I would have," she says.

Curry rejects the notion she's responsible for the ratings slip that threatens Today's long dominance on morning TV, though last week New York Times writer Mike Hale wrote an article examining the idea it was "Ms. Curry's fault" because of a perceived lack of warmth and ease.


ABC's Good Morning America broke NBC's 16-year winning streak in April and has taken three additional weeks since then.


"I know I am not to blame for the ratings worries," Curry says. "And my bosses have said to me there are many factors involved. There is no doubt that the rating wars have become meaner and less focused on our responsibilities as journalists," though she says some at Today do "brilliant work."

I feel like they did Ann dirty with this one.......







Curry will continue with the network as a producer and will have the title "Today Show Anchor-at-Large" and NBC News national/international correspondent.