Ann Curry Fired: Matt Lauer’s Brand is ‘Damaged’; ‘Today’ Executive Producer Jim Bell to Step Down to Alexandra Wallace

Ann Curry's departure from Today was several months ago but the impact lives on for the NBC morning show, on screen and off screen.

According to the New York Daily News, a "prominent" former NBC News executive told the newspaper that the latest struggles Today has been facing won't be over until co-anchor Matt Lauer is gone.

"He's great, but fairly or unfairly, his brand is damaged," said the former executive.

Curry's departure in June has been speculated to be Lauer's fault following his new contract extension while ratings began to tumble against ABC's morning show, Good Morning America.

Ultimately, Today executive producer Jim Bell took the responsibility in September, stating the decision to replace Curry with Savannah Guthrie "was absolutely my call."

"It was definitely not Matt's call," said Bell.  "He is the host and does not have management responsibility. It was not his call. That was my call."

The producer said the stories that have painted Lauer "in a negative light are just preposterous."

"Matt is the heart and soul of the broadcast. He has a heart of gold. This stuff about him has been very irresponsible and in a lot of cases flat-out wrong," said Bell.

The criticism the NBC morning show faced since Curry's firing might have been too much for Bell as he is set to step down from his Today role last week, according to news reports.

Bell has led Today since 2005 and is set to give the position to Alexandra Wallace. He will become executive producer for NBC's Olympics coverage.

According to Radar Online, Lauer and Wallace "have had a very tense relationship" with the co-anchor disagreeing with Wallace's direction for the morning show.

"Matt Lauer is NOT happy that Jim Bell who had been the executive producer of the Today show since 2005 has been forced out," said a source to Radar. "Alexandra Wallace, who will be Bell's replacement, and Matt have never had a good working relationship. Matt doesn't like the fact that Alexandra is a big advocate of Ann Curry's."

The moves come as MSNBC's Willie Geist was promoted to the third hour of the morning show, replacing Guthrie 9 a.m. role.

Geist will also serve as the main fill-in co-host for Lauer during the 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. hours of the morning show. He did state he isn't looking to replace Lauer in the future, stating, "[Lauer is] the best that's ever been in that job and he'll be there as long as he wants to be."

With the introduction of Wallace, she will be the first woman to produce Today.