(Image Source: MTV)

BY CHRISTINA HONAN

Seacrest... In? He’s no stranger to the rumor mill, but this time Ryan Seacrest is at the center after The Wall Street Journal reported that he is in talks to replace Matt Lauer on NBC’s Today Show.

“NBC executives—including ‘Today’ show executive producer Jim Bell, NBC News President Steve Capus and its senior vice president for marketing and communications, Lauren Kapp—met with Mr. Seacrest on Tuesday evening to discuss him joining the show.”

The Hollywood Reporter confirms the meeting did happen and also said such a move wouldn’t be that big of a stretch for Seacrest:

“When profiled by The Hollywood Reporter in April, Seacrest was vocal about his excitement to play a bigger role at Today now that the show and its network has become a part of the expanded post Comcast-NBCUniversal merger family.”

Though the talks are in very preliminary stages, it is given weight by the fact that both Seacrest’s and Lauer’s contracts are up in 2012. But the LA Times asks, even if Lauer chooses leave and NBC can get Seacrest — should they?

“Journalism purists will no doubt feel a pain in their stomach over the idea of Seacrest hosting what is technically a morning news program. After all, while the morning shows are a lot of fluff these days, the anchor still has to have the gravitas to be able to turn to the camera at a moment's notice and say, ‘America is under attack.’ So far the only thing Seacrest can say with conviction is ‘Seacrest out.’”

Even without Seacrest, there are already plenty of critics who think that ‘Today’ is too focused on soft news and entertainment. Among them is Today co-anchor Ann Curry who talked to the Daily Beast about the show in November.

“I’m at my core a hard-news reporter. I want more spinach and less sugar in this big meal we give viewers. Sometimes I feel personally our balance isn’t quite right.”

Still, the mysterious meeting has many wondering if the deal is even real or if it is all just a scare tactic and an attempt to woo Lauer to stay. Cinema Blend weighs in.

“After 14 years you couldn't blame the guy for looking for a change of pace, but at the same time the Today show gig is a pretty good one, and since they're the top morning news show and Lauer isn't known for much beyond it, it's hard to see where he could go from here that would be better. But if NBC wants to scare Lauer into staying, it's hard to imagine a better threat than hiring Seacrest, the universally liked and impossibly hard working host who seems capable of doing pretty much anything on television.”

Neither Seacrest nor Lauer have commented on the situation.