Crime
Nancy Guthrie’s Disappearance May Change the Morning TV Landscape: ‘Suddenly Feels Different’
Savannah Guthrie’s mom, Nancy Guthrie, has been missing for over two weeks, and the repercussions from her kidnapping may reach further than just her immediate family.
Blogger Rob Shuter has reported that networks are pulling family-focused segments from morning shows, and not just those on NBC.
“There were at least three family tie-ins pulled this week,” a senior morning producer from NBC told Shuter via his Naughty or Nice Substack on Monday, February 16. “It suddenly feels different.”
A separate source confirmed that both CBS and ABC also decided not to air segments featuring parents and children of morning show anchors, and cable news shows are reportedly pulling back on the information they share about their reporters’ families.
“It’s an industry-wide recalibration,” a media executive told Naughty or Nice. “When real life becomes frightening, the ‘we’re one big family’ model feels riskier.”
A third source added that Nancy’s kidnapping has been “a wake-up call” and that the access to anchors’ families “might be going away.”
As the National Enquirer previously reported, Nancy, 84, was last seen on January 31 after her daughter Annie Guthrie and son-in-law Tommaso Cioni dropped her off at home around 9:30 p.m. The next morning she didn’t show up to view her regular streaming church service with friends, and she was reported missing.
Savannah, 54, and her family have issued multiple pleas for Nancy’s abductors to bring her home, with the newest one being posted on February 15 via Instagram.
“It’s been two weeks since our mom was taken, and I just wanted to come on and say that we still have hope, and we still believe,” the Today anchor said in a video she shared with her followers. “And I wanted to say to whoever has her, or knows where she is, that it’s never too late.”
As the search for Nancy continues, authorities have still not identified a person of interest. They have encouraged anyone with information to call the FBI tip line at 1-800-225-5324.
