Security fears rattle TV network newsrooms in the wake of the Guthrie kidnapping

As the search for Savannah Guthrie‘s mother enters its 13th day on Friday, the case has dominated headlines, as well as the talk inside TV network newsrooms.

Insiders predict that as a response to the abduction of Nancy Guthrie, anchors will invariably increase security for themselves and their families, while the very DNA of morning shows could come in for an overhaul. A favored practice among celebrity anchors is to share intimate details of their personal lives with viewers. That could change, sources say.

The Hollywood Reporter reported that NBC and “Today” have ramped up security around 30 Rock in the wake of the kidnapping, standard procedure following such a high-profile crime. But other sources familiar with the situation tell Page Six Hollywood that there have been no credible threats to any other anchors at “Today,” and they caution that, at least so far, the case has not been connected in any way to Guthrie’s fame. P6H was told by a source that there’s no viable or material threat to date to any other NBC anchors and nothing that should cause panic.

One knowledgeable newsroom source shared that behind the scenes, a handful of talent representatives are even allegedly fanning the flames of fear among their own clients to cynically boost their profiles. They are doing this, this source said, by telling clients to take unnecessary precautions like scrubbing their social media feeds. “They’re riling up everybody,” cautioned a TV business insider without elaborating.

Either way, “Everyone is talking about it,” one insider at another network said of the Guthrie case. A different TV news vet predicted that “there’s going to be an explosion in the security industry where every rich and famous person is not only investing in security for themselves, but for their family members.”

But yet another veteran noted that security has always been a concern. “There are always threat assessments going on with talent,” said the source, adding that “but I have not seen an influx of requests come in, which is a bit surprising to me.” The same source added that even under normal circumstances at “Disney and Paramount” and other media giants, “people would be surprised at the security apparatus you’d see at these companies … it’s former [intelligence], it’s not a rent-a-cop.”

One TV news source predicted that on-air talent is “going to scale way back on showing their family [on air],” which is part of the DNA of a morning show.

Another said of a.m. anchors, “They do share more because that’s the nature of the show … you’re with your viewers at a very intimate time. They’re brushing their teeth with you, and eating breakfast with you. It’s more sharing than if you are on the BBC reading news every day. It’s a different relationship with the audience.”

Says another longtime TV insider, “There could be a change [in talent’s] posture” toward sharing personal details of their lives on the air. “But that is the bread and butter of a morning show. You want a mom out there [on camera], that’s your audience.”

One pro adds that the trend has also been further pronounced in the social media influencer age.

Months ago, Savannah Guthrie returned to Tucson with cameras as part of a special “Homecoming” episode.

A caption on a “Today” YouTube video read: “Savannah Guthrie shares a tour of her hometown of Tucson, Arizona where she grew up and went to college! She visits the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, her alma mater the University of Arizona, her old Phi Beta Phi sorority house and catches up with family.”

While Guthrie was successful at connecting with viewers on a personal level, a source familiar with the case said amateur sleuths are just assuming that there’s a direct causation between her fame and the abduction of her mother. “The bottom line is it could be anything at this point … It seems like it doesn’t have anything to do with Savannah, there is no indication of that — actually it seems like kind of the exact opposite.”

On Thursday, the FBI released new details about the suspect it thinks kidnapped Nancy Guthrie, and a cash reward for information was doubled to $100,000. She was last seen at her Tucson home on Jan. 31.