NBC News president Noah Oppenheim is now being accused of "self-dealing"

The Daily Beast

Some NBC News staffers are angry that Oppenheim's wife, clinical psychologist Allison Oppenheim, has been collaborating with Today's Savannah Guthrie on two bestselling children’s books -- Princesses Wear Pants and its sequel, Princesses Save the World -- that have received "aggressive and repeated promotion" on Today, reports The Daily Beast. Both books are being developed into an animated series by Drew Barrymore's production company. "Several NBC News staffers this week expressed outrage that Oppenheim and his wife Allison have been benefiting from NBC’s on-air promotion of apparently lucrative side projects on which Today show star Savannah Guthrie has been collaborating with the boss’ wife," reports The Daily Beast, which adds: "And while Oppenheim has faced calls for his dismissal, with a women’s rights group scheduled to rally outside 30 Rockefeller Plaza on Wednesday, he’s found an ally in Guthrie. The Daily Beast has confirmed that Guthrie and Today co-host Hoda Kotb recently defended Oppenheim, and urged that he be kept on, to NBCUniversal chairman Steve Burke." An NBC News spokesperson defended the practice, saying other on-air news personalities, from Jake Tapper to Robin Roberts, promote their books on their shows.