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Matt Lauer tells viewers he’s staying at ‘Today’

"Today" show co-host Matt Lauer and guest co-host, Sarah Palin, talk on the show's set in New York on Tuesday, April 3, 2012. Palin was the much-hyped guest co-host on NBC's "Today," going head-to-head against former "Today" anchor Katie Couric, who this week is subbing on "Good Morning America" at her current workplace, ABC. (AP Photo/NBC, Peter Kramer)

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Matt Lauer is sticking

with NBC’s “Today,” ending speculation that the top-rated show might have to face ABC’s rising “Good Morning America”

without him.

 

Lauer has signed a long-term contract to remain as co-host of the No. 1

morning show, a long-anticipated deal that NBC announced Thursday night but Lauer made public on “Today” Friday

morning.

“This is my family,” he said on the air as the “Today” crew and co-anchors burst into applause.

“Truth

be told,” he joked, “I was developing an idea for a new show, where viewers could tune in every morning and see someone they

know lose a little more of his hair every single day right in front of their eyes. But then I thought, I could just stay here

and do that.”

Although “Today” is on a historic winning streak in the ratings, “Good Morning America” has been gaining

ground.

Lauer’s decision provides important stability for “Today” and puts to rest suggestions that he might reunite

with his former co-host Katie Couric on the syndicated show she’s launching this fall.

Lauer said last May that he

had discussed joining with Couric on a new venture. But he predicted then that he would be staying at “Today” for “a long

time.”

“Given how strong the ‘Today’ show has been, I don’t think the outcome was ever in doubt,” said industry

analyst Larry Gerbrandt of Los Angeles-based Media Valuation Partners.

Lauer has been a fixture with the show since

1994 and began his run as co-anchor in January 1997. He has created a popular “Today” catchphrase with his globe-hopping

“Where in the world is Matt Lauer?” segments.

“Today” has remained No. 1 in the weekly ratings since 1995.

For

broadcast networks, morning represents one of the most important parts of the day. The shows are hugely profitable at a time

of declining TV viewership, and none has been more of a cash cow than “Today.”

A recent report said Lauer could end up

with a $25 million deal, but NBC President Steve Capus dismissed the speculation as “complete silliness,” The New York Times

said. NBC declined to provide further details Thursday on the contract.

The morning scene drew increased attention

this week as the NBC and ABC programs featured dueling celebrity co-hosts: “Today” had Sarah Palin for a day, while Couric

spent the week as substitute anchor at “GMA.”

Flagged in advance, Lauer’s announcement Friday was likely to also

serve as a ratings stunt against his one-time colleague.

Palin, the former Alaska governor, helped “Today” maintain

its winning streak against “GMA” on Tuesday, but Wednesday proved a cautionary tale for NBC. With Couric on board, “Good

Morning America” was able to claim a one-day victory in viewership over “Today.”

About 5.24 million viewers watched

“GMA,” while 5.15 million viewers tuned into “Today,” according to the Nielsen Co.

ABC’s advantage was the latest

twist in a morning-show battle that has seen “GMA” chipping away at the ratings lead that “Today” has maintained every week

for 16 years.

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Overall last week, “GMA” shrank its gap behind “Today” to

119,000 viewers from 137,000 the previous week.

There had been some reports that “American Idol” host Ryan Seacrest

could replace Lauer, and the two bantered about it Wednesday when Seacrest visited “Today” to announce he would take part in

NBC’s coverage of the Summer Olympics.

“What kind of conversations have you had with NBC officials about joining the

‘Today’ show?” Lauer asked Seacrest during a lighthearted exchange.

“Oh,” said Seacrest, grinning, as off-camera

laughter was heard from the crew. “They didn’t tell you?”