(The Trump campaign almost certainly would have objected to Maddow as moderator.) Lack went with Lauer, and both campaigns supported the choice. A source said Chuck Todd, Andrea Mitchell and Rachel Maddow all came up during the process.

Others within NBC were considered as potential moderators. The executive producer of the forum was Mark Lukasiewicz, an expert at producing TV special events. 'This should be a black eye for Lack,' one of the sources said.

NBC News and MSNBC chairman Andy Lack, a longtime friend of Lauer's, was intimately involved in the forum planning and execution. He has hosted thousands of episodes of the 'Today' show. New York Times TV critic James Poniewozik wrote Thursday that Lauer seemed 'unprepared on specifics of military and foreign policy: 'He performed like a soldier sent on a mission without ammunition, beginning with a disorganized offensive, ending in a humiliating retreat.'īut Lauer's interviewing skills are second to none. So what went wrong? That's what journalists both inside and outside NBC are asking now. The ratings for Wednesday night's forum were strong - almost 15 million people tuned in.īut the reviews were pitiful. And several people who were sitting in the audience told CNN that they were frustrated too. Prominent journalists were sharply critical of NBC. Related: Hillary Clinton raising money off Matt Lauerīut this was not merely partisan warfare.

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