NBC fired Matt Lauer and kept his remaining $20M contract unpaid

On 29 November 2017 NBC fired Matt Lauer, the anchor of Today for two decades, hours after the network received a complaint about inappropriate sexual behaviour in the workplace. NBC News chairman Andrew Lack's memo to staff said: 'On Monday night, we received a detailed complaint from a colleague about inappropriate sexual behavior in the workplace by Matt Lauer.' The complaint prompted a serious review and represented a 'clear violation of our company's standards' — with 'reason to believe' it was not an isolated incident.

Lack's memo set the network's priority in a sentence: '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.' The co-anchors announced the firing live on air. Days later NBC confirmed Lauer would not be paid for the remainder of his contract, reported at about $20 million through 2018. The show continued with its remaining anchors, and on 2 January 2018 Hoda Kotb was named the permanent co-anchor.