View source for Today (American TV program)

{{Short description|American news and talk television show}}
{{Redirect|The Today Show|other shows|Today (1982 TV program){{!}}''Today'' (1982 TV program)|and|Today (disambiguation)#Television}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2023}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Infobox television
| image                = Today 2023.svg
| image_size           = 220
| alt_name             = ''The Today Show''
| genre                = {{Plainlist|
* [[Breakfast television|Morning]] 
* [[News broadcasting|News]]
* [[Talk show|Talk]]
}}
| creator              = [[Pat Weaver|Sylvester Weaver]]
| director             = 
| presenter            = {{Plainlist|
* [[Savannah Guthrie]]
* [[Craig Melvin]]
* [[Al Roker]]
* [[Carson Daly]]
* [[Jenna Bush Hager]]
*'''''Third Hour:'''''
* [[Sheinelle Jones]]
* [[Craig Melvin]]
* [[Dylan Dreyer]]
* [[Al Roker]]
*'''''Jenna and Friends:'''''
* [[Jenna Bush Hager]]
*'''Saturday:'''
* [[Peter Alexander (journalist)|Peter Alexander]]
* [[Laura Jarrett]]
* [[Joe Fryer (journalist)|Joe Fryer]]
* [[Angie Lassman]]
*'''Sunday:'''
* [[Willie Geist]]
* ([[#On-air staff|See full list]])
}}
| narrated             = {{Plainlist |
* [[Fred Facey]]
* Les Marshak
}}
| theme_music_composer = {{Plainlist |
* [[Les Brown (bandleader)|Les Brown]] (1952–1961)
* [[Django Reinhardt]] (1962–1963)
* [[Erroll Garner]] (1963–1971)
* [[Ray Ellis]] (1971–1985)
* [[John Williams]] (1985–2013)
* [[Adam Gubman]] (2013–present)
}}
| opentheme            = 2012 Today AGOpen1 (2013–present)
| endtheme             = "Energetic Today"<br />"Slow Today"
| composer             = Adam Gubman & Non-Stop Music
| country              = United States
| language             = English
| num_seasons          = 70
| num_episodes         = 18,000+
| list_episodes        = 
| executive_producer   = Libby Leist,<ref>{{cite magazine| title=Libby Leist Will Lead NBC's 'Today' to Tomorrow| url=https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/libby-leist-nbc-today-1202666925/| date=January 17, 2018| last=Steinberg| first=Brian| magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]}}</ref> Tom Mazzarelli
| producer             = 
| location             = Studio 1A, [[NBC Studios (New York City)|NBC Studios]]<br />[[New York City]], U.S.
| camera               = [[Multi-camera]]
| runtime              = 4 hours (weekdays),<br />60 or 90 minutes (Saturdays),<br />1 hour (Sundays)
| company              = [[NBC News]] Productions
| network              = [[NBC]]
| first_aired          = {{Start date|1952|1|14}}
| last_aired           = present
| related              = ''[[Early Today]]''
}}
 
'''''Today''''' (also called '''''The Today Show''''') is an American [[breakfast television|morning television]] show that airs weekdays from 7:00&nbsp;a.m. to 11:00&nbsp;a.m. on [[NBC]]. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It was the first of its [[genre]] on [[television in the United States|American television]] and in the world, and after {{Age in years|1952|1|14}} years of broadcasting it is fifth on the [[list of longest-running American television series]].

Originally a two-hour program airing weekdays from 7:00&nbsp;a.m. to 9:00&nbsp;a.m., it expanded to Sundays in 1987 and Saturdays in 1992. The weekday broadcast expanded to three hours in 2000, and to four hours in 2007 (though over time, the third and fourth hours became distinct entities). ''Today''{{'}}s dominance was virtually unchallenged by the other networks until the late 1980s, when it was overtaken by [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]'s ''[[Good Morning America]]''.

''Today'' retook the [[Nielsen ratings]] lead the week of December 11, 1995, and held onto that position for 852 consecutive weeks until the week of April 9, 2012, when ''Good Morning America'' topped it again. ''Today'' maintained its No. 2 status behind ''GMA'' from the summer of 2012 until it regained the lead in the aftermath of anchor [[Matt Lauer]]'s departure in November 2017.<ref name="GMA Win">{{cite web |title='GMA' Weeklong Win Over 'Today' Confirmed; First Win in 16 Years |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/emailstory/sns-rt-gma-good-morning-americamt1thewrap37130-20120419,0,3523646.story |newspaper=Chicago Tribune |access-date=April 19, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120420063850/http://www.chicagotribune.com/emailstory/sns-rt-gma-good-morning-americamt1thewrap37130-20120419,0,3523646.story |archive-date=April 20, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/19/business/media/today-show-ratings-matt-lauer.html|title=After Matt Lauer's Firing, 'Today' Has Rare Ratings Wins|first=John|last=Koblin|date=December 19, 2017|work=The New York Times}}</ref> In 2002, ''Today'' was ranked No. 17 on [[TV Guide's 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time|''TV Guide''{{'}}s 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/tv-guide-names-top-50-shows/ |title=TV Guide Names Top 50 Shows |publisher=[[CBS News]] |access-date=November 9, 2011}}</ref>

The entertainment magazine ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' reported the 2016 advertising revenue during the first two hours of the show was $508.8 million.<ref>{{cite news |last=Steinberg |first=Brian |url=https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/advertising-matt-lauer-charlie-rose-tv-1202626337/ |title=Madison Avenue Spends $500 Million on 'Today', and Could Keep Dollars Flowing |work=Variety |date=November 29, 2017 |access-date=November 30, 2017}}</ref>

On July 15, 2020, NBC launched [[#Today All Day|''Today'' All Day]], a 24-hour digital streaming extension of the program available through its website and [[Peacock (streaming service)|Peacock]].<ref name="todayAllDayDeadline">{{cite web |last1=Johnson |first1=Ted |title=NBC's 'Today' To Expand With New Streaming Service |url=https://deadline.com/2020/07/today-streaming-nbc-peacock-1202984374/ |website=Deadline |access-date=26 February 2022 |date=13 July 2020}}</ref>

==History==
===Founding===
[[File:Original Today Show logo.png|thumb|right|175px|First ''Today'' logo, used from 1952 to 1960]]
[[File:Today1974.jpg|thumb|right|175px|First variant of the current logo, introduced in 1974]] 
[[File:Today show (2009-13) logo.png|thumb|Logo used from 2009 to 2013|right|175px]]
[[File:Today logo.svg|thumb|Plain version of the current ''Today'' logo|right|175px]]
[[File:Dave Garroway J Fred Muggs Today show 1954.JPG|thumb|180px|Original host Dave Garroway, with mascot J. Fred Muggs (and companion) in 1954]]
[[File:Today show set 1952.jpg|thumb|180px|The set in January 1952]]

The show's first broadcast aired on January 14, 1952, as the brainchild of television executive [[Pat Weaver|Sylvester Weaver]], who was then [[vice president]] of [[NBC]]. Weaver was president of the company from 1953 to 1956, during which time ''Today''{{'}}s late-night companion ''[[The Tonight Show]]'' premiered. In pre-production, the show's proposed working title was ''The Rise and Shine Revue''.<ref>{{cite book |title=The TV Guide TV Book: 40 Years of the All-Time Greatest Television Facts, Fads, Hits, and History |url=https://archive.org/details/tvguidetvbook40y00wein |url-access=registration |first=Ed |last=Weiner |publisher=Harper Collins |location=New York City |isbn=0-06-096914-8 |page=[https://archive.org/details/tvguidetvbook40y00wein/page/173 173] |year=1992}}</ref> The show was first supervised by [[Jerome Alan Danzig]].<ref name=NYTJADObit>{{Cite web|title=Jerome A. Danzig, 88, Rockefeller Adviser |work=[[The New York Times]]|date= July 18, 2001|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/18/nyregion/jerome-a-danzig-88-rockefeller-adviser.html}}</ref>

''Today'' was the first program of its [[genre]] when it premiered with original host [[Dave Garroway]]. The program blended national news headlines, interviews with newsmakers, lifestyle features, other light news and gimmicks (including the presence of the [[chimpanzee]] [[J. Fred Muggs]] who served as the show's mascot during the early years), and local news updates from the network's stations. It has spawned several other shows of a similar type, including [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]'s ''[[Good Morning America]]'', and [[CBS]]' now-defunct ''[[The Early Show]]''. In other countries, the format was copied – most notably in the United Kingdom with the [[British Broadcasting Corporation|BBC]]'s ''[[BBC Breakfast]]'' and [[ITV (TV network)|ITV]]'s ''[[Good Morning Britain (2014 TV programme)|Good Morning Britain]]'', and in Canada with ''[[Your Morning]]'' on [[CTV Television Network]].

===Scheduling history===
When ''Today'' debuted, it was seen live only in the [[Eastern Time Zone]] and [[Central Time Zone]], broadcasting for three hours each morning but seen for only two hours in each time zone. Since 1958, ''Today'' has only broadcast live on the Eastern Time Zone, and has been on [[broadcast delay]] for the five other U.S. time zones (Central, [[Mountain Time Zone]], [[Pacific Time Zone]], [[Alaska Time Zone]] and [[Hawaii–Aleutian Time Zone]]). Partly to accommodate host Dave Garroway's declining health, the program ceased live broadcasts in September 1959, opting instead to broadcast an edition taped the previous afternoon punctuated with live newscasts each half-hour. The experiment, which drew criticism from many sides, ended when John Chancellor succeeded Garroway in July 1961.<ref>{{cite news |title=Stevenson Plans ABC Series |first=Richard F. |last=Shepard |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |page=55 |date=June 30, 1961}}</ref>

''Today''{{'}}s weekday version was a two-hour program for 48 years, airing from 7:00&nbsp;a.m. to 9:00&nbsp;a.m. in all time zones except for [[Alaska]], [[Hawaii]], and the [[United States Virgin Islands|U.S. Virgin Islands]], until NBC expanded the program to three hours (extending the program until 10:00&nbsp;a.m.) on October 2, 2000. A fourth hour (which extended the program until 11:00&nbsp;a.m.) was eventually added on September 10, 2007.

In August 2013, ''Today'' released a mobile app for smartphones and tablets.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.today.com/allday/say-hello-todays-all-new-app-phone-tablet-6C10850051 |last=Brown |first=Jen |date=August 8, 2013 |title=Say Hello to Today's All New App for Phone and Tablet |work=Today |access-date=August 7, 2020}}</ref>

==Current weekday showtimes and arrangements==
The program airs live in the Eastern Time Zone<ref name="exclusivity">The weekday editions air live exclusively in the Eastern Time Zone, even when it goes on the road.</ref> and on tape delay beginning at 7:00&nbsp;a.m. in each of the remaining time zones. The remaining three feeds are frequently updated with minor fixes and repairs, and often, correspondents will tape updates that are then edited into the delayed feeds. NBC affiliates in some markets including in the east coast, such as [[WESH]] in Orlando, Florida, air the third and fourth hours of ''Today'' on tape delay to accommodate live syndicated programs airing at such times.

When [[breaking news]] stories warrant, ''Today'' will produce a West Coast edition by broadcasting parts of the show live for viewers there. In such an event, the live portion does not typically go beyond the 7:00&nbsp;a.m. (Pacific Time) half-hour or the bloc before the first set of advertisements. Once completed, the remaining blocs/segments taped from the East Coast edition will follow. Throughout the live segment, the presenters will explicitly make some reference to the show being live on the west coast from time to time until the tape-delayed segments resume.

In some instances, when an [[NBC News]] Special Report of [[breaking news]] or a live event occurs during the ''Today'' show time slot in the eastern time zone, the show's anchors will assume hosting responsibilities and the show will go live across all time zones until such time when the Special Report segment finishes. At that point, viewers outside the Eastern Time Zone will return to regularly scheduled programming (i.e. the segment of the ''Today'' show feed already in progress in their corresponding time zone or their local newscast).

===Local cut-ins===
During the first two hours of the program, local [[network affiliate]]s are offered a four-minute window at 26 and 56 minutes past the hour to insert a local newsbreak (which usually also includes a local forecast, and in large and mid-sized markets, a brief traffic report) and local advertisements. Certain NBC affiliates that produce an additional morning newscast for a sister station or [[digital subchannel]] may prerecord the local inserts aired during the first one to two hours of ''Today'' to focus production responsibilities on just one of their local channels.

===Satellite radio simulcast===
Starting in June 2014, [[SiriusXM]] began simulcasting ''Today'' on a new channel called Today Show Radio, Channel 108, with ''The Best of Today'' starting at 6{{nbsp}}am (Eastern) and the ''Today Show'''s live broadcast from Studio 1A at Rockefeller Center in New York City starting at 7:00 a.m. (Eastern), with a tape delayed broadcast at beginning 7:00 a.m. Pacific time. On Tuesdays ''Off the Rails'' with [[Al Roker]], [[Dylan Dreyer]] and [[Sheinelle Jones]] airs at 1:00 p.m. (Eastern). On Wednesdays ''The Happy Hour'' with the producers of ''Jenna & Friends'' airs, and on Thursdays ''Today Show Confidential'' with the producers of ''TODAY'' airs. The channel also simulcasts ''[[NBC Nightly News]]'' with [[Lester Holt]] at 6:30&nbsp;p.m. (Eastern) The Today Show Radio service is not currently available on SiriusXM's sister service in Canada and Channel 108 is locked out for Canadian subscribers.

==Studio==
{{more citations needed section|date=January 2012}}

=== RCA Exhibition Hall (original studio) ===
The ''Today'' program first originated from the RCA Exhibition Hall on 49th Street in [[Manhattan]] in a space now occupied by the [[Christie's]] auction house, just down the block from the present-day studio. The first set placed a functional newsroom in the studio, which Garroway called "the nerve center of the world." The barrier between backstage and on-stage was virtually nonexistent. Garroway and the on-air staff often walked through the newsroom set. Glimpses of the camera crew and technicians were a frequent occurrence, as were off-screen voices conversing with Garroway. Gradually, machines and personnel were placed behind the scenes to assemble the news and weather reports, and the newsroom was gone by 1955.

=== Studio 3K, Florida Showcase, Studio 8G, and Studio 3B ===
[[File:GE Building by David Shankbone.JPG|thumb|upright|''Today'' is broadcast from Studio 1A in [[10 Rockefeller Plaza]], to the left of [[30 Rockefeller Plaza]]]]
In the summer of 1958, television manufacturer [[Philco]] complained to NBC that staging ''Today'' in a studio explicitly called the RCA Exhibition Hall was unfair (RCA owned NBC at the time). The network bowed to the pressure, and on July 7, 1958, ''Today'' moved across the street to Studio 3K in the RCA Building, where it remained through the early 1960s.

On July 9, 1962, the program returned to a street-side studio in the space then occupied by the Florida Showcase. Each day, the ''Today'' production crew would have to move the [[Florida]]-related tourism merchandise off the floor and wheel in the ''Today'' news set, desks, chairs and cameras. When the show wrapped at 9:00&nbsp;a.m. Eastern Time, the news set would be put away and the tourism merchandise returned to the floor.

After three years in the Florida Showcase, ''Today'' moved back to the RCA Building on September 13, 1965. The network converted its news programming to all-color broadcasts at that time, and NBC could not justify allocating four (then-expensive) color cameras to the Florida Showcase studio. For the next 20 years, the show occupied a series of studios on the third, sixth, and eighth floors of NBC's headquarters; most notably Studio 3K in the 1970s, Studio 8G (adjacent to Studio 8H, home to ''[[Saturday Night Live]]''; also the current home of ''[[Late Night with Seth Meyers]]'') in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and finally Studio 3B from 1983 to 1994.

=== Studio 1A ===
''Today'' moved to the new street-side studio on June 20, 1994, providing a link to the show's 1950s origin.

Since the debut of the 1990s set, the national morning news programs of each of the major broadcast and cable-news networks have moved street-side – including two of ''Today''{{'}}s Rockefeller Center neighbors, [[Fox News]]' ''[[Fox & Friends]]'' (at [[Sixth Avenue]]) and [[CNN]]'s since-cancelled ''[[American Morning]]'' (in the summer of 2005, CNN reversed the trend, abandoning its street-level studio and moving upstairs in the [[Time Warner Center]] at [[Columbus Circle]]). ABC's ''[[Good Morning America]]'' broadcasts from [[Times Square Studios]], although only a portion of its studio is street side.

[[File:Today torino.jpg|thumb|left|The outdoor studio at the [[2006 Winter Olympics|Torino Winter Olympic Games]], 2006|215x215px]]
In 2006, Studio 1A underwent a major renovation to prepare for the upgrade to [[high-definition television]] broadcasts. After the departure of [[Katie Couric]] and while a new set was readied (during the summer of 2006), the program was broadcast from a temporary outdoor studio in Rockefeller Plaza, the same set that NBC used at the [[Olympic Games]] since 2004.<ref>{{cite web |title=A New Dawn for 'Today' |url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6364164.html |author=Glen Dickson |work=Broadcasting & Cable |date=August 21, 2006}}</ref> During the week of August 28, 2006, the show was moved to a temporary location outside of Studio 1A because [[MTV]] was converting the outdoor studio into their red carpet booth for the [[2006 MTV Video Music Awards]]. A mock set was set up in ''[[Dateline NBC]]''{{'}}s studio, which was also used during inclement weather. The program also used a temporary outdoor set at [[NBC Studios (New York City)|NBC Studios]], and [[MSNBC]]'s ''[[Countdown with Keith Olbermann]]'' (which joined at Studio 1A in 30 Rock on October 22, 2007).
[[File:'Today' Show Co-Hosts Roker, Guthrie, Morales Look on as Fellow Co-Host Lauer Interviews Secretary Kerry About Iran Deal in New York (19781676778).jpg|thumb|''Today'' set in 2015]]
On September 13, 2006, ''Today'' moved back into the revamped Studio 1A space. The new studio was divided into five different sections on the lower level including an interview area, the couch area, the news desk, the performance/interview/extra space area, and home base, which is where the anchors start the show. A gigantic [[Panasonic]] 103-inch [[plasma display]] monitor is often used for graphic display backgrounds. A kitchen set is located upstairs from the main studio. The blue background that is seen in the opening of the show in home base moves up and down to allow a view of the outside from the home base.

Some minor changes were implemented throughout the early and middle part of 2013, not only in the way that things are presented, but also with modified graphics and minor updates to the set. That year, a new, larger anchor desk was introduced with space to seat all four main anchors (Guthrie, Lauer, Morales and Roker). The new desk brought an end to the "news desk", as the third "news reader" (Morales) now sits at the main anchor desk. Other minor changes included a new larger desk for the third hour. After the August 16, 2013, broadcast, the program vacated Studio 1A, while the space underwent a remodeling with a more modern look with (as stated by executive producer Don Nash) "a lot more bells and whistles to play with."
[[File:Studio1A2017.jpg|thumb|left|Studio 1A in 2017 showcasing the 6' x 16' screen]]
On September 16, 2013, ''Today'' debuted a new set and graphics package (it was originally set to debut on September 9, 2013, but was delayed one week to complete final design details).<ref>{{cite news |title='Today' Show's New Set Delayed a Week |url=http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/today-shows-new-set-delayed-a-week_b195127 |work=[[AdWeek|TVNewser]] |date=September 9, 2013}}</ref> The "home base" is located on a platform that can spin 360°, therefore allowing the view and direction of the camera to change depending on the half-hour. A new couch and background was added in the "sofa area" (where the anchors sit and discuss topics). A [[social media]] area known as the "Orange Room", was also added to Studio 1A, which contains screens that display [[Twitter]] comments or trending topics,<ref>{{cite news |title='Today' show introduces new set, Orange Room to much fanfare |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/tv-movies/today-show-introduces-new-set-orange-room-fanfare-article-1.1457269 |newspaper=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]]|location=New York |date=September 16, 2013}}</ref> [[Carson Daly]] was hired to present segments from the room during the broadcast.<ref>{{cite news |title='Today' show gets makeover with new set, Carson Daly |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/entertainment-us-nbc-today-idUSBRE98C02C20130913 |work=[[Reuters]] |date=September 12, 2013}}</ref> Six screens that also connect to one 6' x 16' screen were added in the fashion/special topic area. During its first two days of use, the show transitioned away from its news and entertainment format to a format that emphasized the social interaction of the anchors, Roker and newsreader.

The graphics were also overhauled with introduction of the new set (a slightly modified version of this package and the revised logo debuted on ''[[Early Today]]'' that November, further integrating the early-morning news program's branding with ''Today''). The logo-to-peacock animation was moved from the left corner to the bottom right side corner of the screen. The logo that was first previewed on September 13, 2013, pared down the number of circular arches from five to three with its coloring switching from different variations – generally shades of red, orange and yellow to depict a sunrise – to entirely orange.

In September 2015 ''Today'' updated the set once again,<ref>{{cite journal |last=Flood |first=Brian | url=http://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/nbcs-today-show-unveils-new-look-studio/271322| title=NBC's Today Show Unveils New-Look Studio | journal=AdWeek |date=September 8, 2015| access-date=January 25, 2018}}</ref> the update included new floors, a new couch, and a new anchor desk. The new set retains the 360 home base used in the previous design. The new set replaced much of the dark wood colors with lighter colors and removed the emphasis of orange in previous design in favor of orange accents.

In February 2018, while Guthrie and Kotb were at the [[2018 Winter Olympics]], the studio underwent major changes including a new curved 40ft video wall and flooring in the former screen area as well as a large ''Today'' logo installation;<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.newscaststudio.com/2018/02/26/new-today-show-set/ | title=Exclusive: 'Today' goes sunny side up with new Studio 1A }}</ref> and by November of the same year, the Orange Room got a minor change that included a triangular-pattern wall and wooden flooring. Then, in November 2020, ahead of Election Night coverage, a new large video wall was added in front of the Orange Room (ending the Orange Room as a studio space in Studio 1A). This video wall is used primarily for the weather forecasts but also other pieces of the show.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.newscaststudio.com/2020/11/10/today-set-changes/ | title='Today' gains a video wall, appears to lose the 'Orange Room' in Studio 1A updates }}</ref>

== On-air staff ==

=== Weekdays ===
<gallery mode="nolines" class="center">
File:Savannah Guthrie 2022 (cropped) (cropped).jpg|[[Savannah Guthrie]] - Co-Anchor
File:Craig Melvin.png|[[Craig Melvin]] - Co-Anchor & 3rd Hour Co-Host
File:Al Roker by Gage Skidmore.jpg|[[Al Roker]]  -   Weather and Feature anchor & 3rd Hour Co-Host      
File:Carson Daly headshot from Fleet Week New York 2018.jpg|[[Carson Daly]] -  Feature anchor 
File:Jenna Bush Hager 2017 2.jpg|[[Jenna Bush Hager]] - Morning Boost anchor & 4th Hour host (''Jenna & Friends'')
</gallery>
<gallery mode="nolines" class="center">
File:Sheinelle Jones.jpg|[[Sheinelle Jones]] - 3rd Hour Co-host
File:Actress Malin Akerman Visits TODAY Show (50026255087) (cropped2).jpg|[[Dylan Dreyer]] - 3rd Hour Co-host
</gallery>

====Main show====
During the week, the flagship hours of ''Today'' (7:00&nbsp;a.m. – 9:00&nbsp;a.m.) are co-anchored by [[Savannah Guthrie]] (2012–present) and [[Craig Melvin]] (2025–present) alongside co-hosts [[Al Roker]] (Weather and Feature anchor 1996–present), [[Carson Daly]] (Feature anchor 2013–present), and [[Jenna Bush Hager]] ("Morning Boost" feature anchor 2025-present).

====Third hour====
[[Sheinelle Jones]] and [[Dylan Dreyer]] – who appear on the main show as contributors – serve as the co-hosts (with Roker and Melvin) of ''[[#3rd Hour Today|3rd Hour Today]]'' at 9:00&nbsp;a.m.

====Fourth hour====
[[Jenna Bush Hager]] hosts the fourth hour with rotating guest co-hosts – titled ''[[Today with Jenna & Friends]]'' – at 10:00 a.m. 

* Note: ''3rd Hour'' and ''Jenna & Friends'' – while considered extensions of the ''Today'' show – are their own distinct entities and are listed as such.<ref>[http://wkyc.titantv.com WKYC listings] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725130400/http://wkyc.titantv.com/ |date=July 25, 2008 }}, Titan TV.com</ref>

=== Weekends ===
<gallery mode="nolines" class="center">
file:Peter Alexander NBC.png|[[Peter Alexander (journalist)|Peter Alexander]] - Saturday co-anchor &  NBC News Chief White House Correspondent 
file:NYC Trump court trial 2024-05-21 014.jpg|[[Laura Jarrett]] - Saturday co-anchor &  NBC News Senior Legal Correspondent 
File:Actress Malin Akerman Visits TODAY Show (50026255087) (cropped).jpg|[[Willie Geist]] - Sunday Today anchor
</gallery>
[[Weekend Today|Weekend editions]] of ''Today'' include ''Saturday Today'' co-anchored by [[Peter Alexander (journalist)|Peter Alexander]] and [[Laura Jarrett]] alongside co-hosts [[Joe Fryer (journalist)|Joe Fryer]] (features anchor) and Angie Lassman (weather anchor), and ''Sunday Today'' anchored solely by [[Willie Geist]].

===Former staff===
''Today'' anchors were termed as "Communicators" on the program's inception. Creator Pat Weaver envisioned a person whose responsibilities would go beyond the bounds of traditional sit-down news anchors. The Communicator would interview, report, moderate dialogue and generally tie the show together into a coherent whole.<ref>National Broadcasting Company, ''Today'' promotional material, 1951.</ref> Garroway and his successors have all followed that model, with little variation. Now, the hosts are expected to do much the same, and on any given day will talk with correspondents, newsmakers and lifestyle experts; introduce and close each half-hour, conduct special segments (such as cooking or fashion) and go on-assignment to host the program from different locations. Although the "Communicator" nomenclature has since dropped out of favor, the job remains largely the same.

====Anchors====
Including Savannah Guthrie and Craig Melvin, nine men and eight women have served as primary ''Today'' hosts since the program's inception:<ref>{{cite book |title=This is Today: A Window On Our Times |first=Eric |last=Mink |publisher=Andrews McMeel Publishing |year=2003}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
!Years
!Anchor 1
!
!Anchor 2
!
|-
|1952–61
|[[Dave Garroway]]
|[[File:Dave Garroway signoff of Peace.jpg|frameless|124x124px]]
| -
| -
|-
|1961–62
|[[John Chancellor]]
|[[File:John Chancellor White House1970.jpg|frameless|119x119px]]
| -
| -
|-
|1962–1971
|[[Hugh Downs]]
|[[File:Hugh Downs 1972.JPG|frameless|131x131px]]
| -
| -
|-
|1971–1974
|[[Frank McGee (journalist)|Frank McGee]]
|[[File:Today show panel 1973.JPG|frameless|100x100px]]
| -
| -
|-
|1974–1976
|[[Jim Hartz]]
|
|[[Barbara Walters]]
|[[File:Barbara Walters 1973.JPG|frameless|131x131px]]
|-
|1976–1981
|[[Tom Brokaw]]
|[[File:Jane Pauley Tom Brokaw Today 1977.JPG|frameless|130x130px]]
|[[Jane Pauley]]
|[[File:Jane Pauley 2012 Shankbone 2.JPG|frameless|125x125px]]
|-
|1982–1989
|[[Bryant Gumbel]]
|[[File:Bryant Gumbel (48592037377).jpg|frameless|158x158px]]
|[[Jane Pauley]]
|[[File:Jane Pauley 2012 Shankbone 2.JPG|frameless|125x125px]]
|-
|1990–1991
|[[Bryant Gumbel]]
|[[File:Bryant Gumbel (48592037377).jpg|frameless|158x158px]]
|[[Deborah Norville]]
|[[File:Deborah Norville, 2011 (cropped).jpg|frameless|150x150px]]
|-
|1991–1997
|[[Bryant Gumbel]]
|[[File:Bryant Gumbel (48592037377).jpg|frameless|158x158px]]
|[[Katie Couric]]
|[[File:Katie Couric VF 2012 Shankbone 2.JPG|frameless|125x125px]]
|-
|1997–2006
|[[Katie Couric]]
|[[File:Katie Couric VF 2012 Shankbone 2.JPG|frameless|125x125px]]
|[[Matt Lauer]]
|[[File:Matt Lauer 2012 Shankbone 2.JPG|frameless|125x125px]]
|-
|2006–2011
|[[Matt Lauer]]
|[[File:Matt Lauer 2012 Shankbone 2.JPG|frameless|125x125px]]
|[[Meredith Vieira]]
|[[File:Meredithv.jpg|frameless|132x132px]]
|-
|2011–2012
|[[Matt Lauer]]
|[[File:Matt Lauer 2012 Shankbone 2.JPG|frameless|125x125px]]
|[[Ann Curry]]
|[[File:Ann Curry 2012 Shankbone.JPG|frameless|125x125px]]
|-
|2012–2017
|[[Matt Lauer]]
|[[File:Matt Lauer 2012 Shankbone 2.JPG|frameless|125x125px]]
|[[Savannah Guthrie]]
|[[File:Savannah Guthrie 2012 Shankbone.JPG|frameless|125x125px]]
|-
|2018–2025
|[[Savannah Guthrie]]
|[[File:Savannah Guthrie 2012 Shankbone.JPG|frameless|125x125px]]
|[[Hoda Kotb]]
|[[File:Hoda Kotb.jpg|frameless|115x115px]]
|-
|2025–present
|[[Savannah Guthrie]]
|[[File:Savannah Guthrie 2012 Shankbone.JPG|frameless|125x125px]]
|[[Craig Melvin]]
|[[File:Craig Melvin.png|frameless|125x125px]]
|-
|}
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Dave Garroway]] (January 14, 1952 – June 16, 1961)
* [[John Chancellor]] (July 17, 1961 – September 7, 1962)
* [[Hugh Downs]] (September 10, 1962 – October 8, 1971)
* [[Barbara Walters]] (September 16, 1966 – June 4, 1976)
* [[Frank McGee (journalist)|Frank McGee]] (October 11, 1971 – April 17, 1974)
* [[Jim Hartz]] (July 29, 1974 – August 23, 1976)
* [[Betty Furness]] (June 7, 1976 – October 8, 1976)
* [[Tom Brokaw]] (August 30, 1976 – December 18, 1981)
* [[Jane Pauley]] (October 11, 1976 – December 29, 1989)
* [[Bryant Gumbel]] (January 4, 1982 – January 3, 1997)
* [[Deborah Norville]] (January 8, 1990 – February 22, 1991)
* [[Katie Couric]] (April 5, 1991 – May 31, 2006)
* [[Matt Lauer]] (January 6, 1997 – November 28, 2017)
* [[Meredith Vieira]] (September 13, 2006 – June 8, 2011)
* [[Ann Curry]] (June 9, 2011 – June 28, 2012)
* [[Savannah Guthrie]] (July 9, 2012 – present)
* [[Hoda Kotb]] (January 2, 2018 – January 10, 2025)
* [[Craig Melvin]] (January 13, 2025 – present)

{{div col end}}
{| class="wikitable"
|+Host tenures by duration 
!#
!Host 
!Number of years
|-
|1
|Matt Lauer
|20 years, 331 days
|-
|2
|Katie Couric 
|15 years, 60 days
|-
|3
|Bryant Gumbel 
|15 years, 3 days
|-
|4
|Jane Pauley 
|13 years, 82 days
|- style="background:#D4F2CE;"
|5
|Savannah Guthrie
|{{age in years and days|2012|07|09}} (ongoing)  
|-
|6
|Barbara Walters
|9 years, 264 days
|-   
|7
|Dave Garroway
|9 years, 156 days
|-
|8
|Hugh Downs 
|9 years, 30 days
|-
|9
|Hoda Kotb
|7 years, 8 days
|- 
|10
|Tom Brokaw
|5 years, 111 days
|- 
|11 
|Meredith Vieira
|4 years, 269 days
|-
|12
|Frank McGee
|2 years, 189 days
|-
|13
|Jim Hartz
|2 years, 26 days 
|-
|14
|John Chancellor 
|1 year, 52 days
|-
|15
|Deborah Norville
|1 year, 45 days
|-
|16
|Ann Curry
|1 year, 20 days
|- style="background:#D4F2CE;"
|17
|Craig Melvin
|{{age in years and days|2025|01|13}} (ongoing)
|-
|}

Notes:
* Walters was hired as a ''Today'' writer and researcher in 1961, making her first appearance that August with a segment on the Paris fashion show. She was appointed as a "''Today'' Girl" and reporter in October 1964; a ''Today'' panelist in September 1966, and became the program's first female co-anchor upon Frank McGee's death in April 1974.
* Pauley was hired as a ''Today'' panelist in 1976, and was promoted to co-anchor when Bryant Gumbel joined the program in 1982.
* Curry served as the show's Anchor at Large from 2012 to 2015, after her time as a primary host.
*Guthrie first joined ''Today'' as co-host of the third hour, in 2012 she was promoted as co-anchor replacing Ann Curry.

====News anchors====
From the show's inception, the idea of providing the latest news headlines has been critical to the function of the program. In that vein, there has always been at least one person on set whose job it is to prepare and deliver newscasts. In 1952, that person was called the "news editor" or (informally) "news chief". In modern parlance, the term "newsreader" or "news anchor" is preferred. Under the two-hour format, four newscasts were delivered, once every half-hour. Presently, there are only two newscasts, delivered at the top of each of the first two hours. Some anchors, including Jim Fleming, Lew Wood, Floyd Kalber and John Palmer, were seasoned journalists before joining the program. Others, including Ann Curry, have used the position to increase their journalistic acumen, at times leaving the newsdesk behind to venture into the field. News anchors have included the following:
[[File:Today show 1961.JPG|thumb|180px|The program in 1961: [[John Chancellor]], [[Frank Blair (journalist)|Frank Blair]], and [[Edwin Newman]]]]
{{columns-list|colwidth=15em|
* Jim Fleming (1952–1953)
* [[Merrill Mueller]] (1953)
* [[Frank Blair (journalist)|Frank Blair]] (1953–1975)
* [[Lew Wood]] (1975–1976)<ref name=nytimes>{{cite news |title=Lew Wood, TV Newsman, Dies at 84 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/23/arts/television/lew-wood-tv-newsman-dies-at-84.html|agency=[[Associated Press]] |newspaper=The New York Times |date=August 22, 2013 |access-date=September 13, 2013}}</ref>
* [[Floyd Kalber]] (1976–1979)
* [[Tony Guida]] (1979)
* No separate news anchor (1979–1981, [[Tom Brokaw]] and [[Jane Pauley]] read headlines)
* [[Chris Wallace]] and Pauley (1982)
* [[John Palmer (TV journalist)|John Palmer]] (1982–1989)
* [[Deborah Norville]] (1989)
* [[Faith Daniels]] (1990–1992)
* [[Margaret Larson]] (1992–1994)
* [[Matt Lauer]] (1994–1997)
* [[Ann Curry]] (1997–2011)
* [[Natalie Morales (journalist)|Natalie Morales]] (2011–2016)
* No separate news anchor (2016–2018, co-anchors read headlines)
* [[Craig Melvin]] (2018–2025)<ref>{{cite web |last=Dwire |first=Emily |url=http://www.wistv.com/story/39017881/craig-melvin-named-new-today-show-news-anchor |title=Craig Melvin named new Today Show news anchor |publisher=WIS-TV |date=September 4, 2018}}</ref>
* No separate news anchor (2025-present, [[Savannah Guthrie]] and [[Craig Melvin]] read headlines)
}}

====Weather anchors====
For the program's first 25 years, weather reports were delivered by the host or newsreader. Dave Garroway illustrated the day's forecast by drawing fronts and areas of precipitation on a big chalkboard map of the United States, based on information gathered earlier in the morning from the [[National Weather Service]] in [[Washington, D.C.]] Subsequent hosts John Chancellor and Hugh Downs dropped the chalkboard weather map concept, and instead read a prepared weather summary over a still image of a weather map. When the show converted to all-color broadcasts in 1965, weather maps were prepared and projected on a screen behind Frank Blair, who delivered the forecast immediately after his news summaries.<ref>{{cite book |title=Today: The First Fifteen Years |publisher=National Broadcasting Company |year=1967}}</ref> Following Blair's retirement on March 14, 1975, Lew Wood took over the newsreader and weather reporting duties (using Blair's format). When Floyd Kalber became newsreader in 1976, Wood was relegated to weather, sports, roving reporter assignments, and presenting live on-air commercials until his departure in 1978.

The weather is reported every half-hour during the program's first two hours, though since Al Roker was named weather reporter on January 26, 1996, an interview is conducted by him in place of the national weather forecast at least once during the show, leaving only the local weather inserts by NBC stations.

Prior to Roker, ''Today'' weather reporters were [[Bob Ryan (meteorologist)|Bob Ryan]] (1978–1980) and [[Willard Scott]] (1980–1996). Until Ryan's hiring, no one on the show had practical experience or academic credentials in [[meteorology]]. With NBC's purchase of [[The Weather Channel]] in 2008, personnel from that network frequently participate in ''Today'' forecast segments, at the site of a weather event or from the cable channel's suburban [[Atlanta]] headquarters, or as a fill-in for Roker. This lasted until 2018 when TWC was acquired by [[Entertainment Studios]].

NBC [[owned-and-operated station]]s and [[network affiliate]]s are given a 30-second window to insert a local forecast segment into the program following the national weather report; Roker's outcue for the local break is "That's what's going on around the country, here's what's happening in your neck of the woods," although in recent years, this outcue was used during only starting the second half-hour. During the first half hour, Roker simply uses "your local forecast" which appears after a 30-second commercial. Those not watching on an affiliate which provides local weather segments following the outcue (including international viewers, as well as NBC stations that do not have a news department) see a national summary of temperatures on a weather map.

The semi-retired Scott, who gained fame through his antics that included costumes and props,<ref>{{cite news |title=Star Weatherman: Willard Scott A Huckster For All Seasons |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1987/04/05/business/star-weatherman-willard-scott-a-huckster-for-all-seasons.html?pagewanted=all&pagewanted=print |first=N.R. |last=Kleinfield |work=The New York Times |date=April 5, 1987}}</ref> still appeared on-air to continue his tradition of wishing "happy birthday" to [[centenarian]]s. Scott's traditional local cue was "Here's what's happening in your world, even as we speak." He retired completely from television on December 15, 2015.

====Regular panelists====
[[File:Today show panel 1973.JPG|thumb|200px|1973 show panel: [[Gene Shalit]], [[Barbara Walters]] and [[Frank McGee (journalist)|Frank McGee]]]]
The job of "panelist" has no set definition. Panelist duties can range from conducting interviews to reporting on a number of topics in-studio and in the field. Regular panelists on the program include the following:
* [[Jack Lescoulie]] (1952–1967)
* [[Edwin Newman]] (1952–1984)
* [[Judith Crist]] (1964–1973)
* [[Barbara Walters]] (1966–1974, officially titled "co-host" in 1974)
* [[Joe Garagiola]] (1967–1973 and 1990–1992)
* [[Gene Shalit]] (1973–2010)

====''Today'' Girls====
From 1952 to 1964, a notable member of the cast was a woman, often an entertainer, the ''Today'' Girl. Usually, she discussed fashion and lifestyle, reported the weather, covered lighter-fare stories or engaged in verbal jousting with Garroway. Estelle Parsons was the first to hold the job, though her title at the time was "Women's Editor". Upon her departure in 1955, the ''Today'' Girl name was adopted. The last to hold the position, Barbara Walters, discussed the job in her autobiography ''[[Audition: A Memoir]]''. She wrote that the ''Today'' Girl era pre-dated [[feminism]], as it was believed that nobody would take a woman seriously reporting "[[infotainment]]" - Walters described the position as a "tea pourer".<ref name="Audition107-114">{{cite book |title=Audition: A Memoir |author-link=Barbara Walters |last=Walters |first=Barbara |publisher=[[Alfred A. Knopf]] |location=New York |isbn=978-0-307-26646-0 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/isbn_B004FR2X2W/page/107 107]–114 |year=2008 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/isbn_B004FR2X2W }}</ref> In 1966, Walters was promoted to co-anchor alongside Hugh Downs, and the ''Today'' Girl position was eliminated. Those who held the position were:
{{columns-list|colwidth=30em|
* [[Estelle Parsons]] (official title: "Women's Editor", 1952–1955)
* [[Lee Meriwether]] (1955–1956)
* [[Helen O'Connell]] (1956–1958)
* [[Betsy Palmer]] (1958)
* [[Florence Henderson]] (1959–1960)
* [[Joyce Davidson]] (1960)
* Pat Fontaine (1962–1963)
* [[Maureen O'Sullivan]] (1964)
}}

====J. Fred Muggs====
From 1953 to 1957, the program featured [[J. Fred Muggs]], a chimpanzee whose antics entertained viewers, but frustrated the program's staff, especially Dave Garroway. Also occasionally appearing was J. Fred's "girlfriend" Phoebe B. Beebe.

==Transitions==

===Pauley to Norville===
In 1989, [[Deborah Norville]] (then anchor of the network's early-morning news program at the time, ''[[NBC News at Sunrise]]'') replaced [[John Palmer (TV journalist)|John Palmer]] at the ''Today'' newsdesk, at which point he assumed her previous role on ''Sunrise''. She also began substituting for [[Tom Brokaw]] on ''[[NBC Nightly News]]''. Shortly after Norville's appointment as ''Today''{{'}}s news anchor, the decision was made to feature her as an unofficial third host. Whereas Palmer had read the news from a desk separate from where Gumbel and Pauley sat, Norville was seated alongside the program's hosts at the opening and closing of every show. Before long, gossip columns and media observers predicted that NBC would remove Jane Pauley from the program and replace her with Norville in an effort to improve the program's recently declining viewership among young women, the demographic most coveted by morning shows.<ref>{{cite news |title=Newcomer Deborah Norville Stirs the Latest Tempest in the Today Show's Coffee Cup |url=http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20121367,00.html |work=[[People (magazine)|People]] |date=October 9, 1989}}</ref> During this period, ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' featured a sketch titled "All About Deborah Norville" (a takeoff on the classic film ''[[All About Eve]]''), which depicted Norville as ruthlessly scheming to take Pauley's place as ''Today'' co-host.

In October 1989, it was announced that 13-year veteran Pauley would leave ''Today'' at the end of the year.<ref>{{cite news |title=Tale Of 2 Women: The Tempest At 'Today' |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1989/10/13/tale-of-2-women-2/ |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |date=October 13, 1989}}</ref> NBC, as expected, announced that Norville would become co-host. An emotional Norville hugged Pauley on the air after the announcement was made, and many at the network hoped the negative press generated by Norville's increased presence on the program would end. However, this turned out not to be the case. Prior to the announcement of Pauley's departure, much of the criticism had focused on Norville's youth and beauty, with many branding her "the other woman" and a "home wrecker", in a reference to what some felt seemed like her intent on "breaking up" the television marriage of Gumbel and Pauley.<ref>{{cite news |title=TV News, Women and Deborah Norville : Her ascension on the 'Today' show revives the Beauty Factor issue in broadcast news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-11-26-ca-472-story.html |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=November 26, 1989}}</ref>

The negative press only heightened after the announcement of Pauley's resignation, and Norville was put under a [[gag order]] by NBC brass, which prevented her from defending herself from the widespread and erroneous reports that she somehow orchestrated her rise on ''Today''. In January 1990, the new anchor team of Bryant Gumbel and Deborah Norville, minus Jane Pauley, debuted with disastrous results. [[Nielsen ratings]] for the program began to plummet. Critics felt that Gumbel and Norville lacked chemistry and many loyal viewers began turning to rival ABC's ''Good Morning America'' (''GMA'').

=== Norville to Couric ===
By the end of 1990, ''Today'', the longtime dominant program, was officially the second-place morning show behind ''GMA,'' and most of the blame was pinned on Norville. By the outbreak of the [[Gulf War]] in 1991, Norville saw her role as co-host continually minimized. ''Today'' aired special editions of the program called "''America at War''", with Gumbel anchoring most of the show alone. It was not uncommon for Norville not even to appear until the two-hour show's second half-hour. In addition, she was directed not to initiate conversation on the show and only speak when asked a question by Gumbel. Norville left the show for [[parental leave]] in February 1991. It was announced that Katie Couric would substitute co-host during Norville's absence. Ratings for the program rose immediately following Norville's departure and Couric's arrival.<ref>{{cite news |title=The Woman Who Replaced Jane Pauley's Replacement |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/08/arts/the-woman-who-replaced-jane-pauley-s-replacement.html |work=[[The New York Times]] |date=April 8, 1991}}</ref>

Midway though her maternity leave, Norville was interviewed by ''[[People (magazine)|People]]''. In the story, she avoided conversation about her recent trouble on ''Today'', and instead focused on her newborn baby boy. She was photographed [[breastfeeding]] her son, a seemingly innocuous event, but NBC management was said to be greatly displeased by this, believing the photo to be "in poor taste". By April 1991, in light of improved ratings on ''Today'' and NBC's displeasure at the ''People'' photograph, it was announced that Norville would not return to ''Today'' and that Katie Couric had been named the program's co-host. Norville, it was disclosed, would continue to be paid in accordance with her contract, although she would no longer appear on any NBC News programs.

===Couric to Vieira===
On April 5, 2006, Katie Couric announced on her 15th anniversary as co-host of ''Today'' that she would leave the program and NBC News at the end of May to become the new anchor and managing editor of the ''[[CBS Evening News]]''. Couric's final broadcast, on May 31, 2006, was dedicated to her 15 years as one of the show's co-hosts, and celebrated her move to the anchor chair at CBS, where she also became a correspondent for the network's Sunday night [[News magazine|newsmagazine]] program ''[[60 Minutes]]''. Couric said during the show, "It's been a pleasure hosting this program, and thank you for fifteen great years." A special video presentation was broadcast, recapping her best moments and news stories on ''Today'' during her 15 years with the show.

The day after Couric's announcement, [[Meredith Vieira]], then a host of ABC's ''[[The View (talk show)|The View]]'' announced on that show that she would take over as Lauer's co-anchor in September. Lauer and Vieira began co-hosting together on September 13, 2006.

On June 1, 2006 (the day after Couric's departure), NBC News announced that for the summer of 2006, ''Today'' would move to a temporary outdoor studio as Studio 1A was going through renovations to prepare for its switch to high-definition. On that same day, NBC News launched a new advertisement promoting Vieira's arrival. That summer, Couric's anchor seat was filled by various hosts, consisting of Curry, Morales and [[Campbell Brown (journalist)|Campbell Brown]] (all of whom were considered candidates to replace Couric), until Vieira took over that fall.

In March 2010, Vieira signed a contract to keep her with the program until at least September 2011.<ref>{{cite news |title=Meredith Vieira Expected To Leave 'Today Show' |first=Jack |last=Mirkinson |work=[[HuffPost]] |date=April 5, 2011 }}</ref> However, she announced on May 9, 2011, that she would depart as co-host in the following month, but would remain at NBC News as a special correspondent.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/meredith-vieira-named-special-correspondent-234699 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |title=Meredith Vieira Named Special Correspondent on Brian Williams Newsmagazine |date=September 13, 2011}}</ref>

===Vieira to Curry===
After announcing her resignation, Meredith Vieira departed the program on June 8, 2011. Vieira's spot was filled by the program's longtime news anchor Ann Curry, appearing alongside Matt Lauer as co-host. Correspondent Natalie Morales replaced Curry as news anchor in turn, with Al Roker remaining as the weather anchor. Savannah Guthrie joined Morales and Roker as co-host of the third (9:00&nbsp;a.m.) hour.

Almost a year after her departure, Vieira returned briefly to ''Today'' as a special correspondent for events relating to [[Elizabeth II]]'s Diamond Jubilee Celebration. On June 5, 2012, she co-presented the show with Lauer from [[London]].

===Curry to Guthrie===
NBC revealed on June 28, 2012, that [[Ann Curry]] would no longer co-host ''Today'', and would continue to work for NBC News (where she remained until her departure in January 2015), including continuing to appear on ''Today''. Curry's title was changed to "Today Anchor at Large and NBC News National & International Correspondent," with responsibilities including leading a seven-person unit producing content for ''NBC Nightly News'', ''[[Dateline NBC]]'', ''[[Rock Center with Brian Williams]]'' and ''Today'', with occasional anchor duties for ''Nightly News''. Curry also reported for NBC's coverage of the [[2012 Summer Olympics]] in London. On July 9, 2012, [[Savannah Guthrie]] succeeded Curry as co-anchor alongside Lauer, Roker and Morales.<ref>{{cite web |title=Savannah Guthrie named co-anchor of Today |url=http://allday.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/29/12477406-savannah-guthrie-named-co-anchor-of-today?lite |work=allDAY |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120629180122/http://allday.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/06/29/12477406-savannah-guthrie-named-co-anchor-of-today?lite |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 29, 2012 |access-date=June 29, 2012}}</ref>

Ann Curry's final show as co-anchor was subdued compared to the earlier departures of Katie Couric and Meredith Vieira, as it did not include retrospectives of Curry's 15-year run on the program or goodbye to messages from colleagues and celebrities, although Curry – seated alongside Lauer, Natalie Morales and Al Roker in the couch area of the Studio 1A set – gave a tear-filled farewell message to viewers.<ref>{{cite news |title=Ann Curry Bids a Tearful Farewell to 'Today' |url=http://www.mediabistro.com/prnewser/ann-curry-bids-a-tearful-farewell-to-today_b39940 |work=PRNewser |date=June 28, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Farewell, Without a Parachute |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/29/arts/television/ann-currys-tearful-goodbye-from-today.html |newspaper=The New York Times |date=June 28, 2012}}</ref> Rumors of Curry's departure from ''Today'' began weeks before NBC formally announced that she would no longer be co-host, spurring negative press similar to that resulting from the departure of Jane Pauley and her replacement by Deborah Norville 23 years earlier, as early reports suggested that Matt Lauer had a hand in the program's decision to let Curry go.<ref>{{cite news |title='Today' Mishandles Ann Curry's Departure |url=http://www.mediabistro.com/prnewser/today-mishandles-ann-currys-departure_b40037 |work=PRNewser |date=June 29, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title='Operation Bambi': How and Why NBC Kicked Ann Curry Off Today |url=https://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/04/how-why-nbc-kicked-ann-curry-off-today.html |work=[[New York (magazine)|New York]] |date=April 18, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Waking Up on the Wrong Side of a Ratings War |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/21/magazine/who-can-save-the-today-show.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=April 18, 2013}}</ref> Viewership declines for the program that began in the months following Curry becoming co-host precipitated in part due to public criticism over Lauer's alleged involvement in Curry's departure; loyal viewers once again began turning to the competing ''Good Morning America'', which toppled ''Today''{{'}}s 16-year consecutive run as the top-rated morning news program during the week of April 9, 2012.<ref name="GMA Win" /> The public relations problems for Lauer that resulted from the accusations, led then-executive producer Jim Bell to admit responsibility for the negative press, in defense of Lauer, in a series of interviews with ''[[The New York Times]]'', ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' and the [[Associated Press]].<ref>{{cite news |title='Today' Chief: Transition Was 'Tough,' but It's Not Matt Lauer's Fault |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/today-jim-bell-matt-lauer-374346 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=September 26, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title='Today' Producer Says Ouster of Ann Curry Was His Choice |url=http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/26/executive-producer-of-today-says-ouster-of-ann-curry-was-his-call/ |newspaper=The New York Times |date=September 26, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title='Today' producer angry about Lauer stories |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/huff-wires/20120926/us-tv-today-lauer/ |work=HuffPost |agency=Associated Press |date=September 26, 2012}}</ref>

=== Lauer to Kotb ===
On November 29, 2017, [[Hoda Kotb]] became the interim co-anchor after [[Matt Lauer]] was terminated. Prior to that, she had been a third co-anchor of ''Today'', sitting alongside Lauer and Guthrie at the beginning of the second half-hour. ''Today'' never formally made the announcement that Kotb would be joining earlier, instead Kotb came on earlier. She held that position on April 17, 2017, after her return from maternity leave until Lauer's termination on November 29, 2017. On January 2, 2018, her interim status became permanent, making her and [[Savannah Guthrie]] the first all-female anchor duo in ''Today's'' history and the second all-female anchor duo overall.

NBC News Chairman [[Andrew Lack (executive)|Andrew Lack]] said in an email that Kotb has "seamlessly stepped" into the position, and with Guthrie, "quickly hit the ground running". "They have an undeniable connection with each other and most importantly, with viewers, a hallmark of Today," Lack added.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/tv/hoda-kotb-named-new-co-anchor-nbc-s-today-joins-n833951| title=Hoda Kotb named co-anchor of NBC's 'Today', joins Savannah Guthrie| last=Ortiz| first=Erik| date=January 2, 2018| publisher=NBC News}}</ref>

Just before the holidays, NBC executives offered the job to Kotb.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://people.com/tv/hoda-kotb-savannah-guthrie-are-todays-new-anchors/?xid=socialflow_twitter_peoplemag| title=Hoda Kotb and Savannah Guthrie Are Today's New Anchor Team| last1=Corriston| first1=Michele| last2=Triggs| first2=Charloette| date=January 2, 2018| work=People}}</ref> She also continued to co-host the fourth hour of the show, a role she has held since 2007.

=== Kotb to Melvin ===
On September 26, 2024, Kotb announced her decision to step down as co-anchor of ''Today'' and co-host of the [[Today with Hoda & Jenna|fourth hour]] in early 2025, but would remain at NBC in a role that was unspecified. Kotb had been co-hosting the fourth hour since 2007. In her announcement on the show, Kotb said she made her decision after turning 60 and stated, "I realized that it was time for me to turn the page at 60 and to try something new."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Arkin |first1=Daniel |title=Hoda Kotb will step down as co-anchor of NBC's 'TODAY' show |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/hoda-kotb-leaves-today-show-rcna172813 |website=NBC News |access-date=1 January 2025 |language=en |date=26 September 2024}}</ref> On November 14, 2024, Kotb's final day was announced for January 10, 2025, with ''Today'' news anchor and ''3rd Hour Today'' co-host [[Craig Melvin]] succeeding Kotb as co-anchor of ''Today'' beginning January 13, 2025.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Burke |first1=Minyvonne |last2=Arkin |first2=Daniel |title=Craig Melvin will replace Hoda Kotb as co-anchor of the 'TODAY' show |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/pop-culture-news/craig-melvin-will-replace-hoda-kotb-co-anchor-nbc-news-today-show-rcna180112 |website=NBC News |access-date=1 January 2025 |language=en |date=14 November 2024}}</ref>

== Controversies ==

===Gumbel's memo===
In 1989, [[Bryant Gumbel]] wrote a memo to the program's then-executive producer Marty Ryan, which was critical of other ''Today'' personalities, and was leaked to the press. In the memo, Gumbel commented that [[Willard Scott]] "holds the show hostage to his assortment of whims, wishes, birthdays and bad taste... This guy is killing us and no one's even trying to rein him in." He commented that [[Gene Shalit]]'s movie reviews "are often late and his interviews aren't very good".<ref>{{cite news| title=Memo to NBC: We Love Scott| first=Monica| last=Collins| date=March 1, 1989| newspaper=[[USA Today]]}}</ref>

There was enough negative backlash in regard to Gumbel's comments toward Scott that Gumbel was shown reconciling with Scott on ''Today''.<ref>{{cite news| title=On ''Today'', it's kiss and make up| first=Brian| last=Donlon| date=March 14, 1989| newspaper=USA Today}}</ref>

===Selective editing of George Zimmerman 9-1-1 call===
After the [[killing of Trayvon Martin]], ''Today'' ran a selectively edited version of the [[9-1-1]] call that George Zimmerman made prior to shooting and killing Martin (which he defended as being committed in [[self-defense]] while standing trial for the shooting, for which he was acquitted on charges of murder in July 2013), which had the effect of making Zimmerman appear [[racist]]. In a March 2012 edition of the program, ''Today'' played a recording of Zimmerman saying, "This guy looks like he's up to no good. He looks black." However, several seconds of the call were cut from the 911 tape, removing Zimmerman's description of Martin, and a question asked to him about the teenager by the 911 operator. In the original, unedited tape, Zimmerman said, "This guy looks like he's up to no good. Or he's on drugs or something. It's raining and he's just walking around, looking about." The operator then asked, "OK, and this guy – is he black, white or Hispanic?", to which Zimmerman answered, "He looks black."

In an opinion piece, Erik Wemple of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' wrote that ''Today''{{'}}s alteration "would more readily paint Zimmerman as a [[racial profiling]]. In reality's version, Zimmerman simply answered a question about the race of the person whom he was reporting to the police. Nothing prejudicial at all in responding to such an inquiry... it's a falsehood with repercussions. Much of the public discussion over the past week has settled on how conflicting facts and interpretations call into question whether Zimmerman acted justifiably or criminally... To portray that exchange in a way that wrongs Zimmerman is high editorial malpractice..."<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/erik-wemple/post/nbc-to-do-internal-investigation-on-zimmerman-segment/2012/03/31/gIQAc4HhnS_blog.html?hpid=z6| title=NBC to do 'internal investigation' on Zimmerman segment| date=March 31, 2012| newspaper=The Washington Post}}</ref>

Following an internal investigation into the production of the segment, NBC News fired two employees who were involved in the piece, including a producer based at the division's Miami bureau, in April 2012.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://mediadecoder.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/06/nbc-fires-producer-of-misleading-zimmerman-tape/?scp=1&sq=NBC%20producer%20fired%20over%20Zimmerman%20911%20call&st=cse| title=NBC Fires Producer of Misleading Zimmerman Tape| first=Brian| last=Stelter| date=April 6, 2012| work=The New York Times| access-date=February 8, 2015}}</ref> In December 2012, George Zimmerman filed a defamation lawsuit against NBC for the editing of the 911 call. Florida Circuit Court Judge Debra Nelson dismissed the suit on June 30, 2014, citing that there were "no genuine issues of material fact upon which a reasonable jury could find that the Defendants [NBCUniversal] acted with actual malice," but although Zimmerman could not prove that he was the victim of "actual malice", stated that the malice standard was appropriate since Zimmerman is a public figure.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/trayvon-martin-george-zimmerman/os-george-zimmerman-nbc-suit-dead-20140630-story.html| title=Judge throws out George Zimmerman's libel suit against NBC| first=Rene|last=Stutzman| date=June 30, 2014| work=[[Orlando Sentinel]]| access-date=February 8, 2015}}</ref>

===9/11 Moment of Silence omission===
On September 11, 2012, ''Today'' sparked outrage after the program neglected to interrupt an interview with ''[[Keeping Up with the Kardashians]]'' co-star [[Kris Jenner]] to broadcast the 11th anniversary remembrance ceremonies of the [[September 11 attacks]] at 8:46&nbsp;a.m. Eastern.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2012/09/11/today-interviews-kris-jenner-instead-observing-moment-silence-for-victims-11/| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120911224211/http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2012/09/11/today-interviews-kris-jenner-instead-observing-moment-silence-for-victims-11/| url-status=dead| archive-date=September 11, 2012| title=Today show skips moment of silence, talks about breast implants with Kris Jenner| date=September 11, 2012| publisher=[[Fox News]]| access-date=September 11, 2012}}</ref> NBC was the only national television news outlet in the United States that did not interrupt regular programming to broadcast the moment of silence live. While the coverage of the ceremonies was not seen on the NBC network feed in most of the country, the network's [[New York City]] [[Flagship (broadcasting)|flagship]] owned-and-operated station [[WNBC]] interrupted the ''Today'' broadcast to run locally produced special coverage of the entire ceremony.<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/nbcs-today-skips-911-moment-of-silence-for-kardashian-interview_b145281| title=NBC's 'Today' Skips 9/11 Moment Of Silence For Kardashian Interview| date=September 11, 2012| work=TVNewser}}</ref>

=== Matt Lauer termination ===

On November 29, 2017, NBC terminated Lauer following allegations of "inappropriate sexual behavior". NBC News chairman Andrew Lack announced Lauer's termination, stating: "It represented, after serious review, a clear violation of our company's standards. As a result, we've decided to terminate his employment. While it is the first complaint about his behavior in the over twenty years he's been at NBC News, we were also presented with reason to believe this may not have been an isolated incident. Our highest priority is to create a workplace environment where everyone feels safe and protected, and to ensure that any actions that run counter to our core values are met with consequences, no matter who the offender." Lauer would eventually be replaced by the long-time anchor of the show's fourth hour, [[Hoda Kotb]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/nbc-news-fires-matt-lauer-alleged-inappropriate-sexual/story?id=51454652| title=NBC News fires Matt Lauer for alleged 'inappropriate sexual behavior'| last1=Winsor| first1=Morgan| date=November 29, 2017| work=[[ABC News (United States)|ABC News]]| access-date=November 29, 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171129134829/http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/nbc-news-fires-matt-lauer-alleged-inappropriate-sexual/story?id=51454652| archive-date=November 29, 2017}}</ref>

Although NBC did not publicly report or comment on the specifics of the allegations, the entertainment industry publication [[Variety (magazine)|''Variety'']] ran a two-month long investigation involving interviews with Lauer's former NBC colleagues on his behavior towards them, which included lurid accusations of making verbal and typed lewd comments, as well as making suggestive references to a colleague's sexual performance.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://variety.com/2017/biz/news/matt-lauer-accused-sexual-harassment-multiple-women-1202625959/| title=Matt Lauer Accused of Sexual Harassment by Multiple Women | last=Wagmeister| first=Ramin Setoodeh, Elizabeth| date=November 29, 2017| work=Variety| access-date=November 29, 2017| language=en-US}}</ref> It was later learned that the firing occurred after Lauer’s one-time co-host Meredith Vieira urged her assistant, who was among the complainants, to report the matter to NBC.<ref>{{cite news| url= https://people.com/tv/meredith-vieira-helped-brooke-nevils-report-matt-lauer-rape-allegations/| title= How Meredith Vieira Helped Brooke Nevils Come Forward with Matt Lauer Rape Allegation | last=Guglielmi| first=Jodi| date=October 9, 2019| work=People| access-date=May 3, 2025| language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Megyn Kelly blackface controversy ===
During the episode of October 23, 2018, [[Megyn Kelly]] participated in a panel discussion on the appropriateness of [[blackface]] in [[Halloween costume]] on her morning show ''Megyn Kelly Today''. During the segment, Kelly recollected that "when I was a kid, that was okay as long as you were dressing up as like a character", and added that "[<nowiki/>[[Luann de Lesseps]]] wants to look like [[Diana Ross]] for one day, and I don't know how that got racist on Halloween." Her comments were widely criticized for being interpreted as defense of the practice, which is generally considered to be a derogatory caricature of African-Americans.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/megyn-kelly-apologizes-blackface-comments-1154466|title=Megyn Kelly Apologizes to Colleagues for Blackface Comments|work=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=October 26, 2018|language=en}}</ref> Critics likened Kelly's remarks to a previous incident during her tenure at Fox News Channel, where Kelly asserted that [[Jesus]] and [[Santa Claus]] [[race and appearance of Jesus|were white]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/blogs/media/2013/12/megyn-kelly-jesus-and-santa-were-white-179491|title=Megyn Kelly: Jesus and Santa were white|work=[[Politico]]|access-date=October 26, 2018|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/nbc-news-megyn-kelly-blackface-today-1202991934/|title=Megyn Kelly, Under Tough Spotlight, Apologizes Again For 'Blackface' Gaffe|last=Steinberg|first=Brian|date=October 24, 2018|work=Variety|access-date=October 26, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref>

Later that day, Kelly issued an internal email apologizing for the remarks, stating that "I realize now that such behavior is indeed wrong, and I am sorry", and that "I've never been a '[[political correctness|pc]]' kind of person — but I understand that we do need to be more sensitive in this day and age. Particularly on race and ethnicity issues which, far from being healed, have been exacerbated in our politics over the past year. This is a time for more understanding, love, sensitivity and honor, and I want to be part of that. I look forward to continuing that discussion."<ref name=":0" />

Kelly opened the October 24 episode with a public apology, as well as a follow-up discussion with African-American commentators [[Amy Holmes]] and [[Roland Martin (journalist)|Roland Martin]] on why blackface is considered controversial.<ref name=":1" /><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2018/tv/columns/megyn-kelly-blackface-nbc-1202991959/|title=Megyn Kelly's Blackface Misstep Proves She's Out of Step With NBC |last=D'Addario|first=Daniel|date=October 24, 2018|work=Variety|access-date=October 26, 2018|language=en-US}}</ref> The same day, ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' reported that Kelly had left the [[Creative Artists Agency]], and had hired an attorney. It was also reported that, prior to the incident, Kelly and NBC had been discussing canceling the program so she could focus more on serving as a correspondent, but that the comments may have an impact on her future at the network. The week's remaining episodes were replaced by encores.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/megyn-kelly-dropped-by-caa-1154923|title=Megyn Kelly No Longer at CAA (Exclusive)|work=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=October 26, 2018|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/megyn-kelly-expected-end-nbc-morning-show-1154877|title=Megyn Kelly Expected to End NBC Morning Show|work=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=October 26, 2018|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/nbc-airs-megyn-kelly-today-repeats-kelly-expected-end-show-1154956|title=NBC Airs 'Megyn Kelly Today' Repeats as Host Is Expected to End Morning Show|work=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=October 26, 2018|language=en}}</ref>

On October 26, 2018, NBC News confirmed the cancellation of ''Megyn Kelly Today'' and announced that the show's existing anchors would temporarily fill the third hour.<ref>{{Cite tweet |user=NBCNews |number=1055873207029428224 |date=October 26, 2018 |title=JUST IN: NBC News spokesperson: 'Megyn Kelly Today is not returning. Next week, the 9 a.m. hour will be hosted by other TODAY co-anchors.'}}</ref>

==Expansion==
===Current===
====''Weekend Today''====
{{main|Weekend Today}}
''Today'' first expanded to weekends on September 20, 1987, with the debut of the Sunday edition. Five years later on August 1, 1992, the Saturday edition made its debut, expanding the program to seven days a week. The Sunday broadcast was originally 90 minutes in length, until the third half-hour being dropped with the expansion of ''[[Meet the Press]]'' to an hour-long broadcast in 1992; it now airs for one hour, while the Saturday broadcast airs for 90 minutes.

The weekend broadcasts continue the ''Today'' format of covering breaking news, interviews with newsmakers, reports on a variety of popular-culture and human-interest stories, covering health and finance issues, and national weather reports. NBC feeds the Saturday edition from 7:00&nbsp;a.m. to 8:30&nbsp;a.m. (although it is often shortened by a half hour to air the network's "[[The More You Know (TV programming block)|The More You Know]]" block in full when there is an early start to sports) and the Sunday edition from 8:00&nbsp;a.m. to 9:00&nbsp;a.m. (both in the Eastern Time Zone), although many of the network's affiliates air local newscasts in those time slots and carry the network broadcast earlier or later in the morning; many NBC affiliates also bookend the Sunday edition with local morning newscasts that immediately precede and follow the program. NBC's [[WNBC|New York City]], [[WMAQ-TV|Chicago]], [[KNTV|San Francisco]] and [[KNBC|Los Angeles]] owned-and-operated stations air the Sunday edition simultaneously (but not live) at 9:00 a.m Eastern, 8:00&nbsp;a.m. Central and 6:00&nbsp;a.m. Pacific Time.

Weekend editions are tailored to the priorities and interests of weekend viewers – offering special series such as "''Saturday Today'' on the Plaza", featuring live performances by major music acts and [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] theatrical productions outside the studio throughout the summer.

During [[NBC Olympic broadcasts]], the weekday anchors and staff present the majority of the program on both Saturday and Sunday throughout the two weeks to maintain promotional momentum, with limited contributions from the weekend team from New York. During some Olympic broadcasts, weekend editions are preempted all together to show live sports.

====''Early Today''====
{{main|Early Today}}
The first [[brand extension]] of ''Today'' was created in 1982. The early morning news program ''Early Today'' was conceived as a lead-in for ''Today'', featuring the same anchors as the main program at the time, Bryant Gumbel and Jane Pauley. The half-hour program was fed twice to allow affiliates to carry one or both broadcasts. NBC canceled the program after a year, and replaced it with ''[[NBC News at Sunrise]]'', originally anchored by [[Connie Chung]].

In April 1999, NBC canceled ''Sunrise'' for two brand extensions of ''Today''. One was ''Early Today'' which was revived September 7, 1999; the revived program originally was produced by CNBC and focused on business and financial news before switching to general news under the same production staff as ''MSNBC First Look'' in 2004. ''Early Today'' continues to air on the network, airing live each weekday morning at 3:00&nbsp;a.m. Eastern Time (with an updated telecast for viewers in the Pacific Time Zone), and on tape delay until 10:00&nbsp;a.m. Eastern – corresponding with the start time of ''Today'' in the Pacific Time Zone – to allow for adjustment in airtimes for other time zones and for certain NBC stations without a local morning newscast to air ''Early Today'' in lieu of one.

==== ''Today 3rd Hour'' ====
{{Infobox television
| alt_name                 = 3rd Hour Today<br>The 3rd
| image                    = 3rd Hour Today 2021 logo.svg
| image_alt                = 
| caption                  = 
| genre                    = {{Plainlist|
*[[Talk show]]
*[[News program]]
}}
| creator                  = 
| presenter                = {{Plainlist|
*[[Craig Melvin]]
*[[Al Roker]]
*[[Sheinelle Jones]]
*[[Dylan Dreyer]]
}}
| country                  = 
| num_seasons              = 
| num_episodes             = 
| list_episodes            = 
| location                 = [[NBC Studios (New York City)|NBC Studios]]
| camera                   = [[Multiple-camera setup|Multi-camera]]
| runtime                  = 44–52 minutes
| network                  = 
| channel                  = 
| released                 = 
| first_aired              = {{Start date|2018|10|29}}
| last_aired               = present
| related                  = ''[[Megyn Kelly Today]]''
}}
'''''Today 3rd Hour''''' (often shortened to '''''The 3rd'''''), the current name for the third hour of ''Today'', features anchors who appear in the first two hours of the program. After ''[[Megyn Kelly Today]]'' was canceled on October 26, 2018, NBC announced that ''Today'' anchors would host the third hour.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Guglielmi |first1=Jodi |title=Hoda Kotb, Al Roker & Craig Melvin Open Megyn Kelly's Today Hour in First Show Since Cancellation |url=https://people.com/tv/hoda-kotb-al-roker-craig-melvin-open-megyn-kelly-today-show-hour/ |website=[[People (magazine)|People]] |access-date=October 31, 2018 |language=en}}</ref> The new third hour premiered on October 29, 2018, with [[Hoda Kotb]], [[Craig Melvin]] and [[Al Roker]] anchoring for the first 20 minutes from Studio 1A, reporting on the [[Pittsburgh synagogue shooting]], with [[Savannah Guthrie]] anchoring live from Pittsburgh.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Grove |first1=Lloyd |title=Megyn Kelly Who? NBC's 'Today Show' Third Hour Awkwardly Soldiers On |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/megyn-kelly-who-nbcs-today-show-third-hour-awkwardly-soldiers-on |website=The Daily Beast |access-date=October 31, 2018 |language=en |date=October 29, 2018}}</ref> At the top of the program, Kotb said:
{{blockquote|Today, as you know, we are starting a new chapter in the third hour of our show as it evolves. We want you to know that the entire ''Today'' family will continue to bring you informative and important stories, just as we always have.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bradley |first1=Laura |title=How Today Is Moving into Its Post-Megyn Kelly Era |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/10/megyn-kelly-today-show-replacement |website=Vanity Fair HWD |date=October 29, 2018 |access-date=31 October 2018 |language=en}}</ref>}}

After 20 minutes, the program continued with [[Jenna Bush Hager]] from Studio 6A, the former home of ''Megyn Kelly Today'', where broadcasts of the third hour would begin to be based.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Steinberg |first1=Brian |title=NBC's Third Hour of 'Today' Remains Work in Progress |url=https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/nbc-third-today-hour-savannah-guthrie-hoda-kotb-megyn-kelly-1203006920/ |website=Variety |access-date=October 31, 2018 |date=October 29, 2018}}</ref> Since its debut, the third hour has used a modified nameless opening title sequence compared to the other editions of ''Today''. Various other ''Today'' and NBC News personalities filled in until January, when it was announced that the official hosts would be Al Roker, [[Sheinelle Jones]], [[Dylan Dreyer]] and Craig Melvin, with the show becoming a primarily panel discussion program under the banner of ''The 3rd Hour''. On December 4, 2018, an NBC News spokesperson confirmed that ''The 3rd'' would move to Studio 1A to streamline the production process and create a more seamless broadcast. The last day at Studio 6A was January 4, 2019, with new broadcasts in Studio 1A beginning on January 7.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Steinberg |first1=Brian |title='Today' Third Hour Leaving NBC Studio That Housed Megyn Kelly's Broadcast |url=https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/nbc-today-show-third-hour-megyn-kelly-1203079685/ |website=Variety |access-date=December 14, 2018 |language=en |date=December 4, 2018}}</ref>

====''Today with Jenna & Friends''====
{{Main|Today with Jenna & Friends}}
''Today with Jenna & Friends'' premiered on January 13, 2025, as the fourth hour of ''Today'', succeeding ''Hoda & Jenna''. The program is hosted by [[Jenna Bush Hager]] and guest hosts, and continues to follow a similar format as its predecessor as its own distinct entity.

==== ''Today'' All Day ====
On July 15, 2020, NBC launched '''''Today'' All Day''', a digital extension of ''Today'' which is a streaming video channel on the program's website and [[Peacock (streaming service)|Peacock]].<ref name="todayAllDayDeadline"/> It features blocks of soft news and lifestyle segments drawn from the program, as well as original content hosted by the program's personalities. NBC plans to eventually widen its distribution via third-party internet TV services in addition to its own.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Steinberg|first=Brian|date=2020-07-13|title=NBC Taps 'Today' For TV's Streaming Wars With 'All Day' Video Feed (EXCLUSIVE)|url=https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/today-all-day-streaming-video-tv-news-1234704425/|access-date=2020-07-16|website=Variety|language=en}}</ref>

===Former===
====''Later Today''====
On September 7, 1999, NBC launched '''''Later Today''''', a talk show that was intended to air immediately following the then two-hour ''Today''. Replacing ''[[Leeza]]'' (which would continue in first-run syndication for one more year) on the network's morning schedule, ''Later Today'' was hosted by [[Jodi Applegate]], [[Florence Henderson]] and [[Asha Blake]]. The program was canceled on August 11, 2000, due to lackluster ratings; it was replaced two months later by the third hour of ''Today'', later known as ''Today's Take''.

====''Today's Take''====
{{Infobox television
| name                     = Today's Take
| alt_name                 = The Take
| image                    = 
| caption                  =
| genre                    = [[Talk Show]]
| presenter                = {{Plainlist|
*[[Al Roker]]
*[[Ann Curry]]
*[[Natalie Morales (journalist)|Natalie Morales]]
*[[Willie Geist]]
*[[Tamron Hall]]
*[[Ellie Kemper]]
*[[Billy Bush]]
*[[Dylan Dreyer]]
*[[Sheinelle Jones]]
}}
| location                 = [[Rockefeller Plaza]], [[Manhattan]], [[New York City]]
| camera                   = [[Multiple-camera setup|Multi-camera]]
| runtime                  = 44–52 minutes
| first_aired              = {{start date|2000|10|02}}
| last_aired               = {{end date|2017|9|22}}
| related                  = ''[[Megyn Kelly Today]]''
}}

'''''Today's Take''''' (sometimes called ''The Take'') was the third-hour segment of ''Today''. This "show-within-a-show" had its own anchors (although featuring on-air staff that appears during the first two hours of the program), opening [[title sequence]] and theme music.

On October 2, 2000, NBC expanded ''Today'' to three hours, with the addition of an hour from 9:00&nbsp;a.m. to 10:00&nbsp;a.m. For its first twelve years, the format of the third hour was originally structured similarly to ''Today''{{'}}s first two hours, using the same anchors as that portion of the broadcast; separate anchors began to be used for the third hour over time, with only the news anchor (Ann Curry until 2011, then Natalie Morales) and the weather anchor (Al Roker) being shared with the main 7:00&nbsp;a.m. – 9:00&nbsp;a.m. block – this was particularly the case during instances where Matt Lauer or his co-host (Katie Couric, then Meredith Vieira from 2006 to 2011, Ann Curry from 2011 to 2012, and finally Savannah Guthrie during the final months of the original format) could not be present for the entire hour due to reporting assignments or personal commitments. Vieira, outside of breaking news situations, was specifically disallowed by contract from any duties in the third hour due to her hosting commitments to the syndicated version of ''[[Who Wants to Be a Millionaire (American game show)|Who Wants to Be a Millionaire]]'' by [[Disney–ABC Domestic Television]].

The network revamped the format of the third hour on November 12, 2012, and gave it the in-program title ''Today's Take''. Roker was joined during the revamped third hour by Natalie Morales and Willie Geist (who had recently joined ''Today'' after ending his run as the original anchor of MSNBC's ''[[Way Too Early with Kasie Hunt|Way Too Early]]''); MSNBC anchor and ''Today'' correspondent [[Tamron Hall]] was added as a co-host for that hour of the program on February 24, 2014, and [[Ellie Kemper]] joined the program on June 29, 2015, as a temporary co-host (until July 17, 2015).<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.yahoo.com/tv/today-has-a-lot-of-hosts-matt-lauer-savannah-122435491680.html |title='Today' Announces Ellie Kemper as New Co-Host |date=June 25, 2015 |publisher=Yahoo! |access-date=July 5, 2015}}</ref>

With the change, traditional news segments at the beginning of the hour were abandoned in favor of a topical "host chat" format similar to the opening segment of the succeeding fourth hour of the program (with the only difference being that top general news events are discussed somewhat more often, in addition to featuring topical discussions on offbeat and pop culture-related stories and periodic clips from television programs aired the previous night and [[viral video]]). Instead, the news segment (titled ''News with Natalie'', anchored by Morales, and alternately titled ''Today's News'' on days when Morales was off) was featured prior to the local update cutaways near the end of the first half-hour; national weather segments are also retained following the host chat segments in both half-hours. Beginning in May 2015, the ''News with Natalie''/''Today's News'' segment moved to 9:30&nbsp;a.m. and the national weather segment to follow and the host chat at 9:30&nbsp;a.m. was discontinued.

On August 22, 2016, both Morales and Geist left ''Today's Take'' and former ''[[Access Hollywood]]'' host [[Billy Bush]] officially joined the set. Bush was later suspended and eventually fired from the segment as well as the program following [[Donald Trump Access Hollywood tape]] during U.S. Republican and presidential candidate [[Donald Trump]]'s campaign in October 2016.

On February 1, 2017, Hall left ''Today's Take''. Weekend co-anchor Sheinelle Jones and weekend meteorologist Dylan Dreyer filled in as co-hosts alongside Roker until a new morning lineup began in the fall.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/tamron-hall-exits-nbc-msnbc-971053| title=Tamron Hall Exits NBC and MSNBC| work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]| date=February 1, 2017| access-date=February 1, 2017}}</ref>

''Today's Take'' aired its final episode on September 22, 2017, and ''Megyn Kelly Today'' replaced it on September 25, 2017.

====''Megyn Kelly Today''====
{{main|Megyn Kelly Today}}
''Megyn Kelly Today'' premiered on September 25, 2017, as a replacement for ''Today's Take''. It was hosted by former [[Fox News]] anchor [[Megyn Kelly]], and was structured as a daytime [[talk show]].<ref>{{cite news| url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2017/09/25/nbcs-megyn-kelly-experiment-unveils-its-latest-creation-a-morning-show-bride-of-frankenstein/| title=Review: NBC's Megyn Kelly experiment unveils its latest creation, a morning-show Bride of Frankenstein| newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]| access-date=September 25, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/the-new-politics-hating-hug-loving-megyn-kelly-debuts-on-nbc-but-will-viewers-buy-it| title=The New, Politics-Hating, Hug-Loving Megyn Kelly Debuts on NBC—But Will Viewers Buy It?| last=Grove| first=Lloyd| date=September 25, 2017| work=The Daily Beast| access-date=September 25, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://variety.com/2017/tv/news/megyn-kelly-nbc-today-morning-promo-1202565113/| title=NBC Touts Megyn Kelly's Softer Side in Bid to Launch New Morning Show| last=Steinberg| first=Brian| date=September 21, 2017| work=Variety| access-date=September 25, 2017| language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=https://deadline.com/2017/07/megyn-kelly-today-show-september-25-start-date-1202126466/| title=NBC News Sets 9/25 Start Date For Megyn Kelly's 'Today' Debut With Studio Audience: Report| last=Gerard| first=Jeremy| date=July 11, 2017| work=Deadline Hollywood| access-date=September 25, 2017| language=en-US}}</ref><ref name="bandc-todaykelly">{{cite web|title=Megyn Kelly's NBC Daytime Show to Replace Third Hour of 'Today'| url=http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/programming/megyn-kellys-nbc-daytime-show-replace-third-hour-today/162179| website=Broadcasting & Cable| date=January 4, 2017| access-date=January 5, 2017}}</ref><ref name="nyt-todaykelly">{{cite news| title=Megyn Kelly May Get NBC Morning Show, Shaking Up 'Today'| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/27/business/media/megyn-kelly-nbc.html| newspaper=The New York Times| date=January 27, 2017| access-date=January 27, 2017| last1=Koblin| first1=John| last2=Grynbaum| first2=Michael M.}}</ref>

In the wake of stable but lower viewership in comparison to the timeslot's predecessor, a desire by Kelly to focus more on her overall role at NBC News, and in the wake of controversy over a recent segment discussing [[blackface]],<ref name="thr-expectedleave">{{Cite news|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/megyn-kelly-expected-end-nbc-morning-show-1154877|title=Megyn Kelly Expected to End NBC Morning Show|work=The Hollywood Reporter|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181025015050/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/megyn-kelly-expected-end-nbc-morning-show-1154877|archive-date=October 25, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="variety-tensions">{{Cite news|url=https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/nbc-news-megyn-kelly-today-repeat-1202993856/|title=NBC Airs 'Megyn Kelly Today' Repeat as Tensions With Anchor Rise|last=Steinberg|first=Brian|date=October 25, 2018|work=Variety|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181025172304/https://variety.com/2018/tv/news/nbc-news-megyn-kelly-today-repeat-1202993856/|archive-date=October 25, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref> the show was officially cancelled on October 26, 2018.<ref name="wp-cancelled">{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/megyn-kellys-nbc-morning-show-has-ended/2018/10/26/c66972ea-d8aa-11e8-aeb7-ddcad4a0a54e_story.html|title=Megyn Kelly's NBC morning show has ended|newspaper=The Washington Post|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181026183353/https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/megyn-kellys-nbc-morning-show-has-ended/2018/10/26/c66972ea-d8aa-11e8-aeb7-ddcad4a0a54e_story.html|archive-date=October 26, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Nemetz |first=Dave |title=''Megyn Kelly Today'' Officially Cancelled |url=https://tvline.com/2018/10/26/megyn-kelly-today-cancelled-fired-nbc-blackface-controversy |website=[[TVLine]]  |access-date=October 26, 2018 |location=United States |date=October 26, 2018}}</ref> Kelly never again appeared on NBC and departed the network three months later.

===={{anchor|Fourth hour}}''Today with Kathie Lee and Hoda''====
{{Main|Today with Jenna & Friends|l1=Today with Jenna & Friends (this article discusses the entire history of the fourth-hour segment)}}

''Today with Kathie Lee and Hoda'' was the fourth-hour segment of ''Today'' hosted by [[Kathie Lee Gifford]] and [[Hoda Kotb]], which aired from April 7, 2008, to April 5, 2019. It replaced the original fourth hour that debuted earlier that fall on September 10, 2007, originally hosted by Ann Curry, Natalie Morales, and Hoda Kotb. The program was its own distinct entity, with its own website and social media presence. The fourth hour does not have news or weather segments or input from the earlier hosts and is structured virtually as a standalone talk show, with an opening "host chat" segment reminiscent of the one popularized by Gifford and [[Regis Philbin]] on ''[[Live with Kelly and Ryan|Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee]]'', as well as interviews and features focusing on entertainment, fashion and other topics aimed at female viewers.

On December 11, 2018, NBC and Gifford announced that she would be retiring from her position of anchoring the fourth hour in April 2019, her 11th anniversary since joining ''Today''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kim |first1=Eun Kyung |title=Kathie Lee Gifford announces she's stepping away from TODAY in 2019 |url=https://www.today.com/news/kathie-lee-gifford-step-away-today-2019-t144922 |website=TODAY.com |date=December 11, 2018 |access-date=December 12, 2018 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/entertainment/entertainment-news/Kathie-Lee-Gifford-Departing-Today-502459402.html|title=Kathie Lee Gifford departing ''Today''|work=NBC Connecticut|date=December 11, 2018|access-date=December 11, 2018}}</ref> Kotb continues co-anchoring the fourth hour.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stelter |first1=Brian |title=Kathie Lee Gifford is leaving 'Today' |date=December 11, 2018 |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/11/media/kathie-lee-gifford-leaving-today-show/ |work=CNN|access-date=December 12, 2018}}</ref> On February 26, 2019, NBC announced that [[Jenna Bush Hager]], the daughter of former U.S. President [[George W. Bush]] would replace Gifford.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Triggs |first1=Charlotte |title=Jenna Bush Hager Will Co-Host Today's Fourth Hour After Kathie Lee Gifford's Departure |url=https://people.com/tv/jenna-bush-hager-will-co-host-today-show-fourth-hour/ |newspaper=Peoplemag |access-date=February 26, 2019}}</ref>

====''Today with Hoda & Jenna''====
{{Main|Today with Jenna & Friends|l1=Today with Jenna & Friends (this article discusses the entire history of the fourth-hour segment)}}

''Today with Hoda & Jenna'' premiered on April 8, 2019, as the fourth hour of ''Today'', succeeding ''Kathie Lee & Hoda''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Stone |first1=Natalie |title=Jenna Bush Hager Begins Today with Support from Dad George W. Bush (and a New Wine Glass) |url=https://people.com/tv/jenna-bush-hager-first-day-cohost-today-show/ |website=People |access-date=April 9, 2019 |language=en}}</ref> The program was hosted by [[Hoda Kotb]] and [[Jenna Bush Hager]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jensen |first1=Erin |title=Jenna Bush Hager's emotional 'Today' debut as host: 'I'm just gonna cry all the time?' |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2019/04/08/today-jenna-bush-hager-debut-hoda-kotb-first-day/3398857002/ |website=USA Today |access-date=April 9, 2019 |language=en}}</ref> Kotb hosted the program until her departure on January 10, 2025.

==Music==
{{overly detailed|section|date=October 2019}}
''Today'' host Dave Garroway selected [[Les Brown (bandleader)|Les Brown]]'s "[[Sentimental Journey (song)|Sentimental Journey]]" as the program's original theme music, which was used during Garroway's entire run from 1952 to 1961. In 1962, when Hugh Downs became host, [[Django Reinhardt]]'s "Melodie au Crepuscule" was chosen as the new theme; it was replaced in 1963 by "[[Misty (song)|Misty]]", an instrumental ballad composed by Erroll Garner and performed by [[Bobby Hackett]] and John B. Seng.<ref name="classicthemes.com">{{cite web |title=The Today Show / NBC Today Show |url=http://www.classicthemes.com/50sTVThemes/themePages/today.html |publisher=Classicthemes.com |access-date=November 9, 2011}}</ref>

"Misty" served as ''Today''{{'}}s theme until 1971, when NBC News correspondent [[Frank McGee (journalism)|Frank McGee]] joined the show. Composer [[Ray Ellis]] penned an instrumental theme entitled "This is ''Today''", a jazzy, up-tempo piece that served as the program's main theme until 1978. Because ''This is Today'' closely resembled [[Stephen Schwartz (composer)|Stephen Schwartz]]'s song "[[Day by Day (Godspell song)|Day by Day]]" from the musical ''[[Godspell]]'', Schwartz successfully sued for [[copyright infringement]].<ref name="infringe">{{cite web| title=Herald Square Music v. Living Music 205 U.S.P.Q. 1241 (1978); No. 77 Civ. 0008 (S.D.N.Y. Dec. 4, 1978)| url=http://mcir.usc.edu/cases/1970-1979/Pages/heraldliving.html| website=Music Copyright Infringement Resource| access-date=January 7, 2017| archive-date=May 24, 2017| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170524120545/http://mcir.usc.edu/cases/1970-1979/Pages/heraldliving.html| url-status=dead}}</ref> "This is ''Today''" was revised as a result, with the second version of the piece incorporating the familiar [[NBC chimes]] was used until 1981, at the close of the [[Tom Brokaw]]–[[Jane Pauley]] era.<ref name="classicthemes.com" /> The chimes were also used throughout the program to introduce and conclude segments, usually in combination with the familiar ''Today'' sunburst logo.

By the time Bryant Gumbel was appointed co-anchor of the program in 1982, a new version of Ellis' "This is ''Today''" theme was introduced, using a looser, more relaxed arrangement that continued to feature the NBC chimes in its melody. A shorter arrangement of "This is ''Today''" was used for the show open (featuring a rotating globe and the ''Today'' sunburst) from 1983 to 1985. The main theme was used until 1985, and due to its popularity with viewers was resurrected as the show's secondary theme in January 1993. The 1982 theme later served as the program's official "anniversary" music, used to open and close retrospective segments in the leadup to ''Today'''s 60th anniversary in 2012.

1985 saw the end of the synthesizer era at NBC as composer [[John Williams]] wrote a series of themes for all NBC News programs, with a cut entitled "[[The Mission (theme music)|The Mission]]", serving as the principal theme for ''NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw''. Williams also composed two themes for ''Today'': an opening fanfare for the program that was derived from the opening of "The Mission", and a two-minute closing theme for the show entitled "[[The Mission (theme music)|Scherzo for Today]]", a dramatic arrangement that made heavy use of strings and flutes. In the late 1980s, "Scherzo" was played in its entirety multiple times daily during the weather scrolls that ran during local commercial breaks; however, most NBC affiliates preempted these segments with locally slotted advertising. The new ''Today'' themes – used in tandem with the show's new opening sequence featuring the [[Statue of Liberty]] and a new living room studio set – gave the program a distinctly modern look and sound beginning in September 1985. A series of Williams-penned bumpers featuring "The Mission" signature were also used to open and close segments. "Scherzo for Today" was used as the program's closing theme until 1990, and "The Mission" bumpers were used until 1993 (one of them could be heard as a station break lead-in on NBC's ''[[Meet The Press]]'' until 2004).

Meanwhile, Williams' opening fanfare had opened the program ever since its 1985 introduction, with two brief interruptions; new opening themes were briefly introduced and quickly discarded in the summer of 1994 (to mark the debut of Studio 1A) and in 2004. The fanfare was iconically accompanied by [[Fred Facey]] announcing "From NBC News, this is ''Today''… with (anchor) and (anchor)" (with "Live from Studio 1A in Rockefeller Plaza" being added to the introduction on June 20, 1994, when the show moved to its new studio). Although Facey died in April 2003, his introduction of the Couric–Lauer team was used for the duration of Couric's era (except for special editions requiring special introductions). ''Weekend Today'' announcer Les Marshak became the new voice of the weekday program on September 13, 2006.<ref>{{cite web |title=Meredith Debuts: The New Voice Of 'Today' |url=http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/nbc/meredith_debuts_the_new_voice_of_today_43729.asp |author=Brian |work=TVNewser |publisher=Mediabistro.com |date=September 13, 2006 |access-date=November 9, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930211120/http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/nbc/meredith_debuts_the_new_voice_of_today_43729.asp |archive-date=September 30, 2007}}</ref> A lighter theme employing the NBC chimes was used to open the show's 7:30&nbsp;a.m. through 9:30&nbsp;a.m. half-hour segments, and was also used as a closing theme.

In March 2013, "The Mission" was replaced with a theme composed by [[Adam Gubman]] for Non-Stop Music. Along with Non-Stop Music, Gubman's rebranding could be heard dating back to ''Today''{{'}}s coverage of the [[wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton]] in April 2011. Gubman went on to write music for the network's 2012 election coverage, and continues to provide audio content for ''Today''.

==Notable people==
<!---♦♦♦ Only add a person to this list if they already have their own article on the English Wikipedia ♦♦♦---> 
<!---♦♦♦ Please keep the list in alphabetical order by LAST NAME ♦♦♦--->
*[[Robert Bendick]] (1917–2008), Today show producer, 1953–1955, and 1958–1960.

==Ratings==
From 1995 to 2012, ''Today'' generally beat ABC rival ''Good Morning America'' in the [[Nielsen ratings]] among all network morning programs. By the week of September 11, 2006, the program earned 6.320 million total viewers, 1.6 million more than the 4.73 million viewers earned by ''Good Morning America''. This gap eventually decreased, as by the week of June 30, 2008, ''Today'' was watched by an average of 4.9 million viewers, compared to ''Good Morning America''{{'}}s 3.8 million.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Morning Show Ratings |url=http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/morning_show_ratings/default.asp |first=Chris |last=Ariens |journal=TVNewser  |access-date=November 9, 2011}}</ref>

Furthermore, by the week of October 12, 2008, ''Today''{{'}}s total viewership had gone up to 4.910 million viewers, compared to second place ''Good Morning America''{{'}}s total viewership of 4.25 million (and significantly above the 2.66 million viewers earned by CBS' ''The Early Show'').<ref>{{cite web |title=Today Beats GMA for the Week Ending October 12 – Ratings |url=http://tvbythenumbers.com/2008/10/17/today-beats-gma-for-the-week-ending-october-12/6429#more-6429 |publisher=[[TV by the Numbers]] |date=October 17, 2008 |access-date=November 9, 2011 |archive-date=December 30, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081230063746/http://tvbythenumbers.com/2008/10/17/today-beats-gma-for-the-week-ending-october-12/6429#more-6429 |url-status=dead }}</ref> For the week above, the third hour (referred as "Today II" by NBC exclusively for Nielsen ratings counts) drew 2.9 million viewers and the fourth hour (referred in Nielsen ratings as "Today III"), delivered 1.7 million.

For the week of January 4, 2009, the 8:00&nbsp;a.m. hour of ''Today'' averaged 5.998 million viewers; the 9:00& a.m. hour, meanwhile, averaged 4.447 million total viewers and a 1.4 rating among adults aged 25–54, marking that hour's best ratings since the week of August 11, 2008. The 10:00&nbsp;a.m. hour averaged 2.412 million total viewers and a .8 rating in the demographic, the highest total viewership for that portion of the program since the week of December 31, 2007.<ref>{{cite web |title=TVNewser – And Now the News...About TV News |url=http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/ |first=Merrill |last=Knox |work=TVNewser |access-date=November 9, 2011}}</ref>

For the week of April 11, 2011, the program passed its 800th consecutive week as the No. 1 rated network morning news program, with 5.662 million total viewers (ahead of ''Good Morning America'' by approximately 1.2 million viewers).<ref>{{cite web |title=TODAY Show Hits 800 Weeks At Number One |url=http://www.mediaite.com/tv/nbcs-today-hits-800-weeks-at-number-one/ |publisher=[[Mediaite]] |date=April 21, 2011 |access-date=November 9, 2011}}</ref>

During the week of April 25, 2011, ''Today'' averaged 6.424 million viewers, marking its best weekly total viewership since August 11, 2008, during the [[2008 Summer Olympics]]. This was largely buoyed by the April 29 coverage of the wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton, which earned 9.628 million viewers (beating ''Good Morning America''{{'}}s coverage by more than 1.6 million viewers), and was also the best single day rating since November 8, 2000, the day after the [[2000 United States presidential election|2000 presidential election]].<ref>{{cite web |title='Today's' Royal Ratings |url=http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/05/05/todays-royal-ratings/91708 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110508235237/http://tvbythenumbers.zap2it.com/2011/05/05/todays-royal-ratings/91708 |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 8, 2011 |last=Seidman |first=Robert |work=[[TV by the Numbers]] |date=May 5, 2011 |access-date=November 9, 2011}}</ref>

==International broadcasts==
{{More citations needed section|date=February 2014}}
* In '''Middle East''' and '''North Africa''' NBC News programs, including the live broadcast of ''Today'', are shown daily on the 24-hour news network [[OSN News]] in [[MENA]] Region.
* In '''Australia''', ''NBC Today'' (the title used in that country to avoid confusion with the local [[Nine Network]] program ''[[Today (1982 TV program)|Today]]'') airs an edited 42-minute version of the first two hours from 4:00&nbsp;a.m. Tuesday to Saturday on the [[Seven Network]] (rerun at 9:00&nbsp;a.m. on sister network [[7two]]). The ''Today's Take'' hour (which is abbreviated to the same runtime) only airs Saturdays on the primary channel and Tuesday to Saturday on 7two; while Seven broadcasts the Sunday edition at 5:00&nbsp;a.m. on Mondays, following ''[[Meet The Press]]''. The program was originally trimmed to 63 minutes, with the local news [[Cutaway (filmmaking)|cutaway]] removed. However, a news ticker appears at the bottom of the screen, containing national headlines, as well as information on the next edition of Seven's morning program ''[[Sunrise (Australian TV program)|Sunrise]]''. A national weather map of Australia is inserted during local affiliate cutaways during the weather segment. ''Today'' does not air on the primary regional affiliates [[Prime7]] and [[GWN7]], which instead air [[infomercial]]. The show has aired on Seven since the mid-1980s, when clips from the show often aired as part of Seven's ''News Overnight'' program.
* In the '''Philippines''', ''Today'' returned to cable-tv on November 2, 2020. The show now airs live with repeats on [[TAP TV]]. ''Today'' previously aired on [[9TV]] (formerly called as [[Talk TV (Philippine TV network)|Talk TV]] and [[Solar News Channel]]) from 2011 to August 2014; an edited 90-minute version of the weekday editions aired Tuesdays through Saturdays at 5:30&nbsp;a.m., with a two-hour abbreviated broadcast of the Friday editions airing at 10:00&nbsp;a.m. local time on Saturdays. ''Weekend Today'' airs Saturdays for two hours at 10:00&nbsp;p.m. and Sundays at 11:00&nbsp;p.m. local time. The local affiliate cutaways during the weather segment were removed only from the weekday editions. ''Today with Kathie Lee and Hoda'' (titled ''Today's Talk'' for the TalkTV/SNC/9TV broadcasts) aired Tuesdays to Saturdays at 3:00&nbsp;a.m. Both shows were removed from the schedule since then, particularly with the relaunch of 9TV as [[CNN Philippines]]. 
* In the '''United Kingdom''' and several other countries, ''Today'' aired on [[Sky News]] from 1989 to 1993.
* In '''Europe''', ''The Today Show'' together with other NBC productions such as ''[[The Tonight Show]]'', ''[[Late Night with Conan O'Brien]]'' and ''[[Dateline NBC]]'' was aired for several years on the NBC-owned [[NBC Super Channel]], later turned into [[NBC Europe]]. Initially ''Today'' aired live in the afternoon, from 1993 until 1995, when then [[NBC Europe]] began airing it on a one-day delay the morning after the original U.S. broadcast.
* In '''Asia''', ''The Today Show'' was shown live during prime time on [[NBC Asia]]. This Pan-Asian network was owned by NBC and showed NBC productions such as ''[[The Tonight Show]]'', ''[[Late Night with Conan O'Brien]]'' and ''[[Dateline NBC]]'' from 1994 until 1998, when the network was turned into [[National Geographic (Asian TV channel) |National Geographic Channel]].
* In '''Indonesia''', ''NBC Today'' is aired on NBC-US at 5:00&nbsp;p.m. to 7:00&nbsp;p.m. WIB (6:00&nbsp;p.m. to 8:00&nbsp;p.m. WIB from March to November) with [[WNBC]] local weather exclusively for SVICLOUD TV Box. Aimed for U.S. expatriates in Indonesia.

== Accolades ==
* 2022: Institutional [[Peabody Award]]

==See also==
*[[List of special editions of Today (American TV program)|List of special editions of ''Today'' (American TV program)]], for editions of the program marking major news events or breaking news coverage

==References==
===Notes===
:1.{{note|a}}Walters was women's editor and contributor from 1961 through 1964. In 1964, her role was titled "''Today'' Girl" and panelist. In 1966, she began regularly co-anchoring alongside Downs. In 1974, following the death of McGee, she was titled "co-host".

=== Citations ===
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
{{commons category}}
* {{Official website}}
* {{IMDb title|0044298}}
* [http://www.classicthemes.com/50sTVThemes/themePages/today.html ''Today'' music history page]

{{Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Morning Program}}
{{US morning news shows}}
{{NBCNetwork Shows (current and upcoming)}}

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[[Category:Television morning shows in the United States]]
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