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WAIT AND SEE: It's anybody's guess who'll replace Tim Russert
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Published: November 6, 2008
It is probably the second-most-pressing question circulating this week in the salons of Washington's media elite: Who will be the permanent host, or hosts, of the NBC program Meet the Press?
It could be Chuck Todd, whose profile as political director of NBC News has risen noticeably during the network's coverage of the presidential campaign, but whose low-key, conversational style doesn't quite "crack the screen," as one television executive put it.
It could be David Gregory, a correspondent who has long been familiar to NBC viewers, but who has had trouble attracting viewers to his own program, Race for the White House, on MSNBC.
It could be both, as part of an ensemble, or it could be neither. Gwen Ifill, a former NBC correspondent who went on to PBS, has been approached by the president of NBC News to gauge her interest. And some at NBC still pine for Katie Couric, who, if many planets were somehow to align, could be back on a top-rated NBC morning show, albeit one that is broadcast just once a week.
Meanwhile, the names of the candidates' backers and antagonists are as intriguing as those of the potential hosts themselves. Tom Brokaw has told some colleagues that he has been impressed with Todd. Gregory has struggled to get critical air time on NBC Nightly News With Brian Williams -- in part, some colleagues say, because he can be as combative off camera as he can be at a White House news briefing.
NBC is expected to announce its decision sometime between Election Day and the end of the year, when Brokaw is scheduled to end his tour as interim host, a role he has played since shortly after the death in June of Tim Russert, the program's longtime moderator.
The network has said little publicly about its deliberations, which have been set against the backdrop of the election -- with the stock of some potential hosts rising, and others falling.
Those inside and outside the network who have been briefed on portions of the process said this week that it had been understandably difficult, given the oversize shoes being filled. As of yet, no obvious candidate has emerged from what in effect has been an unwieldy bake-off, with some of the leading candidates playing prominent roles in the network's political coverage.
A spokeswoman for NBC News, Allison Gollust, said on Friday, "No decision has been made about the future of Meet the Press, and any speculation by alleged insiders is nothing more than idle chitchat."
The rough list of journalists who are receiving scrutiny within NBC emerged from conversations this week with people who would speak only on condition of anonymity, because not one was a direct decision maker.Among the other names being bandied about the hallways and suites of NBC's headquarters at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in Manhattan, and its Washington bureau on Nebraska Avenue, are those of Andrea Mitchell, a longtime reporter who could play a supporting role, and a dark horse, Chris Matthews, the outspoken MSNBC host whose ratings have climbed during the final weeks of the presidential campaign.
Some NBC executives are intrigued by the possibility of hiring an established star to replace Russert. Near the top of that short list is Couric, the former Today co-host, who has had at times an unhappy experience as anchor of the CBS Evening News. And there is always Ted Koppel, who would bring the heft of more than 20 years spent hosting Nightline.
That the decision to replace Russert has been protracted is not just a reflection of the degree to which he made Meet the Press his own. The program, which has its 61st anniversary today, is a tremendously important showcase for NBC.
With an average weekly audience of nearly 4 million, according to Nielsen Media Research, it has actually increased its viewership and its margin of victory over its two main competitors -- This Week With George Stephanopoulos on ABC, and Face the Nation on CBS -- in the months since Russert's death.
The program also generates millions of dollars in annual advertising revenue for NBC.
While Betsy Fischer, the longtime executive producer of Meet the Press, and Steve Capus, the president of NBC News, will have much to say about the next moderator, the ultimate decision will most likely rest with Jeff Zucker, the president and chief executive of NBC Universal, in consultation with Jeffrey R. Immelt, the chairman and chief executive of General Electric, the network's parent company.
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