Here's an article for yesterday's New York Times with regard to Tim Russert's Replacement.... my comments after....
Meet Russert’s Replacement? Not Yet
By JACQUES STEINBERG
It is probably the second-most-pressing question circulating 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 this week. 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 Mr. Todd. Mr. 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 press briefing.
NBC is expected to announce its decision sometime between Election Day and the end of the year, when Mr. Brokaw is scheduled to end his tour as interim host, a role he has played since shortly after the death of the program’s longtime moderator Tim Russert in June. 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 Mr. Russert. Near the top of that short list is Ms. 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 two decades spent hosting “Nightline.”
That the decision to replace Mr. 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 on Thursday, is a tremendously important showcase for NBC. With an average weekly audience of nearly four 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 Mr. 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.
NBC has drawn some criticism for not having more minority journalists in prominent roles. Ms. Ifill, the host of “Washington Week” on PBS and a regular on “The NewsHour With Jim Lehrer,” is black. She also has a résumé long on jobs covering Washington politics, not just over the last nine years at PBS but also before that at NBC, The New York Times and The Washington Post.
Reached this week, Ms. Ifill would neither confirm nor deny any contact with NBC executives. “I have one of the best jobs in journalism right now,” she said, “but I never rule anything out.”
Asked how long she was committed to PBS, Ms. Ifill said, “I’m still under contract.”
Of the inside candidates, Mr. Todd has drawn praise for his sober election analysis. And yet he has logged far more time as a print journalist than as a television host, including six years as the editor of The Hotline, a publication of National Journal. Moreover, the job of presiding over “Meet the Press” in an election year, which plays to Mr. Todd’s strengths as a political analyst, is different from what it will be during the early months of a new administration, in which the topics will hopscotch from the economy to international affairs.
For these reasons the network has thought seriously about placing Mr. Todd at the helm of an ensemble, perhaps a rotating one, that could include Mr. Gregory. Mr. Gregory still might get the “Meet the Press” job outright.
Then there is Ms. Couric, whose widely seen conversations with Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican vice presidential nominee, were fresh reminders of her interviewing skills. Even if Ms. Couric were interested, which is not clear, she would have to be let out of her contract with CBS, which is to run for more than two more years.
On the other hand, CBS executives acknowledged earlier this year that Ms. Couric and the network had discussed the possibility of her leaving, perhaps between the election and the inauguration in January.
Asked in an interview last month if the attention she received for her Palin interview had her thinking about what it would be like to lead the “CBS Evening News” in a new administration, Ms. Couric demurred, saying, “I haven’t really been able to look beyond Nov. 4, in terms of how things are going to shake out.”
As for Mr. Koppel, he declined an opportunity to take over “This Week” when he concluded his tenure on “Nightline” in 2005. At the time it was noted that he had done an interview program of his own for 26 years and was loath to interrupt time with his family to lash himself to an anchor desk in Washington each Sunday.
And yet when asked this week about whether Mr. Koppel might have changed his mind in the intervening years, someone close to him emphasized that his three-year contract with the Discovery Channel was winding down, and that Mr. Koppel was open to a new challenge. As of yet, though, no one from NBC is believed to have called.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/01/arts/television/01meet.html?ref=television
The names thrown around in the article are all viable with the exception of Katie Couric. That's not intended to be a dig, but the reason Ms. Couric does so well with political interviews is that she doesn't do them often. She has a wide range when it comes to interviews and stories. It's this wide range that keeps the odd political interview fresh. And limiting her to political topics only takes away from her greatest strength as a journalist - her ability to switch gears.
This column has discussed the strengths and weaknesses of both Mr. Todd and Mr. Gregory respectively and the better choice here is Mr. Todd. However, we've never seen Mr. Todd hit a power broker over the head with a tough question. And hosting by committee, as mentioned in the article, is a bad idea. The essential element with Mr. Russert was that we trusted him in his consistency. This is something that grows over time and establishing a long-running host is the way to create the trust. Therefore, Mr. Todd could grow nicely into the position. He was Mr. Russert's protege, without question.
The other outsider names mentioned - Gwen Ifill and Ted Kopple - are stacked with viable experience. However, with Mr. Kopple, you create the same situation in three years that you have now... who is the replacement? Gwen Ifill, on the other hand, is very well respected and could take over for some time. She is a candidate that this column will consider more. Her substantive questions would due a true service to the longest running television program in history.
More to come....
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