Just in case your interested....
Big Shoes that can't be filled, but Mr. Gregory is tasked with keeping up the ratings lead. And one more comment with regard to yesterday's post - The reason this column did prefer Mr. Todd was that he is more inviting a personality to the average viewer, but ratings numbers demand that the executives go with a more solid interviewer.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/08/business/media/08talk.html?scp=3&sq=Meet%20The%20Press&st=cse
‘Meet the Press’ Changes, and Hopes Its Rank Won’t
By BILL CARTER
NBC News used the occasion of an appearance by President-elect Barack Obama on “Meet the Press” on Sunday to make official its appointment of David Gregory as the next permanent moderator of that venerable political discussion program.
The news of Mr. Gregory’s selection had leaked out in reports last week. On Sunday, Tom Brokaw, who became interim host in June after the sudden death of Tim Russert, said that he would step down. Mr. Gregory’s first program will be next week.
Mr. Russert had lifted “Meet the Press” to a long period of dominance among the Sunday morning shows, establishing himself in the process as perhaps the most formidable interviewer on television.
In a telephone interview, Mr. Gregory, who is 38, acknowledged that the task before him was challenging. “I’m honored,” he said. “I feel humbled and very excited. I’m not nervous or apprehensive about it, but it is daunting.”
The change comes as the Washington power-broker lineup is about to be recast with the arrival of the Obama administration. Calling this “a critically important time for the country,” Mr. Brokaw said on Sunday’s program that “more people are paying attention” to the weekly network Sunday programs than at any time since 1968.
That combination of factors has NBC’s competitors anticipating an opportunity to alter the dynamics of Sunday morning talk.
George Stephanopoulos, the face of ABC’s program “This Week,” said he saw genuine opportunity in the changeover, though he said, “There’s no question that ‘Meet the Press’ is a powerful brand.”
It is the oldest program on television, and like other programs started by NBC in the medium’s early days — “Today” and “The Tonight Show” — “Meet the Press” is a television institution. Still, it is hardly invulnerable. In the 1980s, ABC’s “This Week” dominated for a decade.
Mr. Russert reversed that, first by persuading NBC to expand “Meet the Press” to an hour to match “This Week,” then by ratcheting up the intensity of the interviews. But now NBC’s competitors see an opening.
“I think the post-Russert era begins now,” said Chris Wallace, the host of “Fox News Sunday.”
This year, NBC has averaged about 4.5 million viewers on its Sunday morning show, “This Week” about 3.4 million, and CBS’s “Face the Nation,” hosted by Bob Schieffer, about 3.1 million.
“Fox News Sunday” on the Fox network has about 1.6 million viewers, but that number jumps to about 3 million when the program is repeated in the evening on the Fox News Channel. The other cable entrant in the competition, CNN, is also about to make a change, with John King set to take over its “Late Edition” Sunday morning program soon from its host, Wolf Blitzer.
Maintaining the dominant position Mr. Russert established is clearly an important consideration. Steve Capus, the president of NBC News, said that he was most interested in the program sustaining a reputation for “tough but fair” interviews.
Mr. Gregory said that he felt “the great sense of purpose in the program.”
Under his new contract, he will continue to have a presence on “Today,” serving as the regular substitute host for Matt Lauer. But he will give up his interview program on NBC’s all-news cable channel, MSNBC.
NBC also extended the contract of Betsy Fischer, the executive producer of “Meet the Press,” who attended American University in Washington at the same time as Mr. Gregory.
None of the programs have ambitious plans to shake up the format. Ms. Fischer said any changes under Mr. Gregory would be “gradual and seamless.”
There isn’t much you can do differently with a program based on a face-to-face interview. The competition is generally not over how the programs are put together but who the guests are.
Some competitors suggest that Mr. Stephanopoulos may have an advantage because he worked in a Democratic administration populated by many names that are making a comeback.
“George obviously does have close relationships with people from the Clinton White House,” Mr. Wallace said. Mr. Stephanopoulos said, “I’m going to draw on every relationship I have.”
Mr. Schieffer, host of “Face the Nation,” recalled that Mr. Russert considered himself “the curator of a national treasure” and added that he had always been impressed with Mr. Gregory’s talents. “Tim is irreplaceable,” Mr. Schieffer said, “but somebody has to do it.”
Mr. Gregory, the new curator, will be under considerable pressure — and scrutiny. Mr. Stephanopoulos pointed out that “Brokaw is handing David about a one-million-viewer lead.”
Mr. Schieffer said, “It’s going to be tough competition. I wish David the best — and I’m going to try to beat his brains out.”
No comments:
Post a Comment