Ann Curry in talks to leave NBC's "Today" show

Ann Curry attends the Time 100 Gala on April 24, 2012, in New York.

/ Getty

(CBS/AP) Ann Curry could be saying goodbye to "Today."

NBC News is discussing a plan to replace Curry as co-host of the "Today" show with Matt Lauer, just a year after she signed on to the post.

Pictures: Ann Curry

Curry, who has been with "Today" since 1997, replaced Meredith Vieira last June as Lauer's partner. Lauer agreed to a long-term contract this spring to stay with the show.

It's still uncertain whether Curry, who has discovered a passion for international reporting in recent years, will remain with "Today," according to a source with knowledge of the show who spoke on condition of anonymity on Wednesday because the source was not authorized to speak on the matter. The New York Times first reported the discussions about the possible change on Wednesday.

Network officials started talks with Curry several weeks ago, the Times reports. There's a possibility she could be moved to another part of the network, according to NBC sources.

Savannah Guthrie, who co-hosts the show's third hour, is at the top of the list of Curry's possible replacements. The Times reports that Hoda Kotb and Natalie Morales' names have also been tossed around as potential replacements.

"Today" lost in the ratings this spring for the first time since 1995 after a string of 852 consecutive weeks. Since then, "Today" and ABC's "Good Morning America" have been trading weekly wins.

Keeping "Today" on top is serious business for NBC. Now four hours long, "Today" is the network's most profitable show and, with no end in sight for the network's prolonged prime-time slump, stands with Brian Williams' "Nightly News" as NBC's most successful program.

The Times reported that Curry had hired Washington lawyer Robert Barnett to represent her in talks with NBC News about her future. Barnett said he would not comment on Curry Wednesday, and Curry did not return an email seeking comment.

Asked a week ago whether "Today" was considering any personnel changes, "Today" executive producer Jim Bell deflected the question with a joke, saying there was no truth to the rumor that Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford would leave as hosts of the show's fourth hour.

Bell, who is also producing NBC's Olympics broadcasts, said it would be wrong for "Today" not to undergo some self-examination with the new competition from ABC. But he also noted that ABC was helped this spring because it had a stronger prime-time lineup than NBC and some of those evening viewers stuck around for "Good Morning America."

Curry was passed over for Vieira in 2006 when NBC executives were replacing Katie Couric on "Today." After getting the job last year, she told The Associated Press that she would not have left the show even if she had been passed over again.

"It would have been nuts abandoning the broadcast," she said. "It would have been abandoning our viewers. I love our viewers ... I have a real sense of service when it comes to this job, taking care of the viewer and helping them have information that I think they should know and want to know."

On Thursday, it was business as usual on "Today." Curry showed up to work, but didn't make mention of the media reports. She did, however, post an update on Twitter:

Good morning twitterverse.

— Ann Curry (@AnnCurry) June 21, 2012

Tell us: If Ann Curry does leave "Today" who should replace her?

[AlWho]

The REAL "problem" with the Today show is Matt L. He was, back before a huge raise and his head exploded he WAS entertaining and interesting. Over the past few years he's gotten: pompous, arrogant, smug and condescending - no longer good, entertaining or informative. All Matt cares about now is Matt. Not the news, the guests or the public, it's Me, Myself, and I reporting!!! Actually, I am often upset by his ignorant, downright Stupid questions and comments. What is NBC going to do when the ratings continue to drop? Who are they going to blame then??? Don't get too comfortable Matt, as they say: be careful what you ask for .....

[Kaisa1]

Finally......Ms Curry will be a person in my rear view mirror. I usually flip over to GMA or CBS when she's purring her little interviews. Certainly there is a better venue for Ann...maybe something at 3am. "Oh Brad, you are soooooo amazing".....remember that interview in Europe somewhere? Good grief.

[ihatesarahpalin]

I don't blame her for leaving if it was in fact her idea. The TODAY show has been going down hill for some now. I WAS a loyal viewer until some moron decided to have Sarah Palin as a co-host a couple months ago. I am now a GMA viewer and those idiots at NBC can KMA!

[Lyric55]

I would definitely like to see Savannah take over as co-host. She's intelligent, knows how to conduct an interview, and can carry on a non-scripted conversation without getting flustered like Ann or Natalie.

[MorningFan]

I really like Ann, but if she has to leave, I would much rather see Savannah get the job than Natalie. Natalie is beautiful, but I find it rather annoying the way she talks over people and rushes them through their segments. I know they have a timeline to keep and I appreciate that, but they either need to allot more time or have fewer guests. I end up feeling I didn't get the full story. We don't get the fourth hour on my local NBC station, but I don't think I could take a steady diet of Kathie Lee. Don't see enough of Hoda to have an opinion of her.

[940489873]

I would honestly love to see Kathy Lee or Hoda take her place, but Kathy Lee and Hoda do work very good with each other and I would hate to see them separate!

[trutwin]

Ann Curry and Meredith Vieira are favorites of mine. Both women have excellent reporting skills and they have caring hearts not $$$ emblazoned on their souls. Of course it doesn't hurt to get a nice paycheck especially when you've truly earned it.

I hope Ann ends up precisely where she wants to be both professionally and personally. And good luck....

[apersonthatcares]

I feel Ann was great giving the news but is not that great on the couch or with short interviews. She is great on the longer interviews because she cares about people. I also feel that the short interviews that Matt and the rest of the staff do are just to short and to pushed. They are just trying to get to many things on the air but not that great of an interview. You can also tell when the behind people are putting them up to asking some questions that they don't really care to ask.

[montanatrace]

When NBC promoted Hanoi Jane I pulled the plug. Couric was awful Griffen worse. They all wear their political agendas on their sleeves. When possible, they don't report the news, they twist it.

[AJHat]

Ann Curry brought something special to the am news (she was my favorite on the show)... It was a horrible surprise to see that NBC was writing her off as the reason for lower ratings.
I know myself, along w/ others I have spoke too were miffed over the whole Matt Lauer $$$ debate, and would think that was more the cause. I almost stopped watching then, just so I wouldn't support that kind of person, but I enjoy the show & will be very sad to see such a great newscaster like Ann Curry go.