Ann Curry CNN Gig Update: NBC Wants Her Off Air for Six Months, Won't End Contract Unless She Agrees
Ann Curry's battle to get out of her contract with NBC took a turn after the network added specific terms to the agreement but are reportedly willing to renegotiate.
The news anchor requested that the network end her contract so that she can begin a new gig at CNN, but she learned that executives at NBC said they will only consider releasing her if she does not appear on television for the next six months.
Curry is against the deal and is not backing down from her goal of heading to CNN in February.
"Ann's bosses weren't willing to let her out of her contract so she could accept a job at CNN," a source told Radar Online. "NBC has made it clear that if they let Ann out of her contract, they want to keep her off the air of a competing network for at least six months."
As presumed, Curry was frustrated considering the disastrous departure that led to her being replaced by Savannah Guthrie and she has had very limited on-air time since she was moved into a new role at NBC.
"This is unacceptable to Ann. She has been on the air only in a very limited capacity, since being dumped from the TODAY show," the source added.
There may be hope, however, as NBC executives are now reportedly considering letting her out of the contract without the six-month non-compete clause.
"There has been a break in the on-going stand-off between NBC and Ann," the source added. "Ann's bosses weren't willing to let her out of her contract so she could accept a job at CNN. However, they now recognize it's probably for the best, and Matt Lauer chimed in and said it would be a good idea as well."
Enstars reported earlier in January that Curry asked to be let out of her contract so she can begin a new anchor job at CNN. She hopes to join the cable network in February to begin working for her former "TODAY" boss Jeff Zucker, who now helms the news channel. Zucker would like Curry to replace Anderson Cooper's current 8 p.m. EST time slot.
Lauer reportedly defended her request to leave NBC and asked network executives to sever her agreement. Lauer understood that it would allow Curry to "get back on the air on a regular basis" so "everyone can move on from the debacle," a source told Radar Online.
To the surprise of some, the source added that Lauer "wishes Ann the best. (Lauer) thinks it's for the best if she were to take a job at another network."
