'Good Morning America' Hosts In 'Nightmare' Contract Talks: THR

The hosts of "Good Morning America" are in a nice spot, what with the show ruling the morning roost—and with star player Robin Roberts one of the most beloved personalities on television.

Nothing, it seems, could ruin the idyllic nature of the place—except maybe a series of hard-nosed contract talks.

The Hollywood Reporter's well-connected Marisa Guthrie wrote on Wednesday that "GMA" is deep in negotiations with Roberts, Lara Spencer and Josh Elliott, who make up three-fifths of the show's super-successful hosting crew. One person told Guthrie the situation was a 'nightmare' for ABC News president Ben Sherwood.

A lot of crazy things happen during negotiations. Matt Lauer, for instance, almost left "Today" for ABC before being offered a boatload of money. Fox News chief Roger Ailes started muttering about how he might just leave television altogether; instead, Rupert Murdoch gave him $30 million a year and he stayed.

So it's not too surprising that sources told Guthrie that representatives for Elliott and Spencer spoke to rival NBC News. Roberts, whose popularity has shot into the stratosphere recently, will no doubt be angling for a very solid pay raise as well.

Ultimately, it seems very likely that everyone will stick around. "GMA" is simply too important for all involved to tamper with.