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NBC’s Matt Lauer is sticking with ‘Today’ show

By WTOP Staff

DAVID BAUDER
AP Television Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — With things looking up for the “Today” show after a dark period, Matt Lauer decided to stick around and NBC is happy to have him.

The network said Friday that Lauer had agreed to a contract extension to continue as co-host of the morning show, as he’s been since 1997. The show is trying to recover the dominance it lost to rival “Good Morning America” the past few years.

Lauer’s popularity took a major hit two years ago following the messy departure of co-host Ann Curry. Despite that, NBC’s own research showed that losing Lauer would be much more damaging, and his bosses let him know he was still wanted. He told management last week that he wanted to stay, and an agreement was reached quickly. Lauer told his “Today” colleagues Thursday that he’d be staying, said an NBC executive who spoke on condition of anonymity because the network doesn’t talk publicly about contracts.

Lauer’s popularity has stabilized over the past year, with the percentage of negative impressions decreasing, according to Marketing Evaluations Inc., a Long Island company that measures the likeability of TV personalities.

“Matt really isn’t the problem with the show,” said Shelley Ross, who competed against Lauer as the former top producer at the ABC and CBS morning shows. “Matt still, I think, is one of the all-time anchor greats. I clearly think the ‘Today’ show is rattled. It’s not the confident show it once was.”

Some of Lauer’s potential in-house successors — Willie Geist, Carson Daly and Josh Elliott — will have time now for more seasoning.

The top network morning shows all saw viewership gains during the TV season just concluded. “Good Morning America” went up 8 percent over last year to an average of 5.7 million each morning, “Today” went up 9 percent to 5.1 million and “CBS This Morning” increased 11 percent to 3.1 million, the Nielsen company said. Among younger viewers that “Today” counts on for advertising sales, it’s much closer between the two top shows.

NBC said Lauer’s extension was for multiple years, although it would not specify how long. Lauer’s last extension was announced in 2012. Terms weren’t disclosed; as the longest-lasting host in the most profitable time of day for broadcast news divisions, Lauer is certainly one of the highest-paid people in TV news.

“We couldn’t be more thrilled with Matt’s decision,” said NBC News President Deborah Turness. “As I’ve said many times before, he’s the best in the business, and there is nobody I would rather have in the ‘Today’ anchor chair than Matt.”

Lauer, 56, said in a statement that “I consider this the best job in broadcasting. I love the people I work with every day and I have such respect and gratitude for the people I work for. I couldn’t be happier to be staying.”

Lauer began as a news anchor on “Today” in 1994 and replaced Bryant Gumbel as co-host three years later. He’s worked with Katie Couric, Meredith Vieira, Curry and now Savannah Guthrie as co-hosts.

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Online:

http://www.today.com/

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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