According to The NY Times: “At its height, “Today” had two million more viewers than ABC’s “Good Morning America.” Now NBC’s most profitable program may be in danger of falling behind: for the first time in years, the gap between “Today” and “Good Morning America” recently narrowed to just 270,000 viewers.”

Blame is falling on perky Katie Couric, the paper says: ” her image has grown downright scary: America’s girl next door has morphed into the mercurial diva down the hall. At the first sound of her peremptory voice and clickety stiletto heels, people dart behind doors and douse the lights.”

It isn’t fair to character assassinate Couric………the dog and pony farce these news entertainers put on every morning is really the issue. “Today” is a profit whore employed by NBC to seduce and sell to America as it crawls out of bed.

Rather than put the onus on “the strained chemistry between Couric and Matt Lauer”, NBC should examine the content of Today: children, Christianity, and celebrities. The network, led by the militaristic General Electric Corporation, is tripping over itself to promote Red State values. Such stalwart guys as Tim Russert and Lauer, lob softball questions at the Bushes, while trying to ooze worship for the Papacy. Could “conservative” Americans actually be turning to “Good Morning America” because it is more liberal and less strident?

Typical morning segments on Today might include lengthy reports on the Michael Jackson trial, the latest contestant fired from “The Apprentice” and how soccer moms can balance children and fitness. NBC panders to the narrow and narcissistic, letting the entire rest of the world go to hell. If there is a publicist promoting a book, a brand new NBC show to push, or the latest news on Jen and Brad, then Katie is right on top of it.

The fakeness of “Today” means that authors or directors or actors are never questioned honestly, their publicists pre-approve all the questions. What the audience sees is propaganda, pure and simple. TV viewers have caught on and no longer accept the BS.

Global warming, child poverty, the war in Iraq, mass slaughter in Africa, revolution in South America, North Korea’s nuclear weapons, child prostitution in Thailand, India’s race to surpass America in technology and medicine…none of it compares to Al Roker reporting from a cheesecake eating contest in Texas or Ann Curry discussing Nicole Kidman’s favorite brand of nail polish.

Congressional corruption, from Tom DeLay to Bill Frist is barely given a ten second report, while countless time and money is spent on the latest “box office smash” or “best seller” or “hottest SUV” or “newest teen trend”. They are hysterical and frantic at Rockefeller Center in the maddening race to make the rich richer, the famous more infamous. Katie and company are only following orders.