NEW YORK — Former “Today” show anchor Ann Curry said Wednesday that the atmosphere of verbal sexual harassment when she worked at the morning show left her not surprised by the allegations that got former colleague Matt Lauer fired.

Meanwhile, the show she left behind named a new executive producer for its first two hours, making women the hands-on supervisors for all four hours of “Today.”

Curry resurrected some unpleasant memories for “Today” with an interview at competitor “CBS This Morning.” She’s promoting a new PBS show. Curry offered no specific examples of harassment or wrongdoing associated with Lauer, who was fired in November for an inappropriate relationship with a colleague that began in 2014.

“I would be surprised if many women did not understand that there was a climate of verbal harassment that existed,” Curry said, later amending that to add the word “sexual.”

She said the world is “waking up to a reality, an injustice that has been occurring for some time.

“I think it will continue until the glass ceiling is finally broken,” she said. “This is about power, a power imbalance where women are not valued as much as men.”

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NBC News and Jim Bell, executive producer of “Today” during Curry’s tenure as anchor, declined comment. Curry lost her job after less than two years as Lauer’s co-anchor in 2012, and her tearful farewell was a low point that contributed to ABC’s “Good Morning America” ending NBC’s long-time reign at the top of the morning ratings. She left NBC in 2015.

Many viewers blamed Lauer for Curry’s unceremonious exit. When asked if she believed he was behind her firing, Curry said that “I’m not the one to ask.”

“You’re the only one to ask,” said CBS’ Gayle King.

“I don’t know what was all behind it,” Curry said. “I do know that it hurt like hell. It wasn’t a fun moment. I’ve learned a great deal about myself. I’ve really at this point let it go.”

NBC’s announcement that Libby Leist is replacing Don Nash as executive producer for the first two hours of “Today” comes two weeks after NBC appointed Hoda Kotb as Lauer’s replacement, working alongside Savannah Guthrie. The show has two women in its lead on-air roles for the first time.

Leist, the new boss for the 7 to 9 a.m. hours at “Today,” joined NBC in Washington in 2001, and has been a senior producer at “Today” for five years.


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