With much more important news going on - wonderful peace and calm in Ferguson MO - I'm not surprised that this blip of Beltway checkers has escaped notice.
Good News: Karl Rove's favorite dancing stenographer is out as host of NBC's floundering Meet The Press.
Bad News: Chuck Todd will be taking over as host.
(sigh)
NBC named Chuck Todd the new host of "Meet the Press" on Thursday afternoon, beginning a revamp by network news managers who say they want the iconic program to be the "beating heart of politics."
Todd, for whom the term "political junkie" seems invented, will remain the political director for the network news division, but will give up his mid-morning MSNBC newscast "The Daily Rundown."
Todd will be the twelfth moderator in "Meet the Press" history. Born on radio in 1945 and reborn for television in 1947, "Meet the Press" is the longest-running show on TV.
1) Who knew Gregory had been sullying the venerable Sunday instution's reputation for six freaking years? Wow. Sad for NBC, our media, and America.
2) Last Sunday was it for Lurch. Andrea Mitchell (aka Mrs Alan Greenspan) will fill in this Sunday. Aug 31 host unknown then Mr Todd starts Sunday Sept 7th. Prepare yourself for Todd's more subtle and imitation-cerebral concerned softballs for Repub politicians and pundits moving forward.
3) Gregory is not only leaving MTP, he's leaving NBC altogether.
4) Todd remains Political Director at NBC. He gives up his role as Chief White House Correspondent for NBC and his daily slot on MSNBC.
David Gregory, we hardly knew tolerated ya!
As much as we political junkies might mock or dismiss the Sunday spew-fests, they do have viewers and they do set the tone of the DC "Conventional Wisdom" for the new week.
The numbers for August 10:
Network Program Total Viewers A25-54
CBS “Face the Nation” 2.899M 772K
ABC “This Week” 2.633M 829K
NBC “Meet the Press” 2.429M 747K
FOX “Fox News Sunday” 1.210M 369K
UNI “Al Punto” 682K 310K
9:11 PM PT: UPDATE: For those scoring at home - or even if you're alone - here are the previous hosts of Meet The Press:
Martha Rountree (1947-53), Ned Brooks (1953-65), Lawrence E. Spivak (1966-75), Bill Monroe (1975-84), Roger Mudd and Marvin Kalb (co-moderators, 1984-85), Marvin Kalb (1985-87), Chris Wallace (1987-88), Garrick Utley (1989-91), Tim Russert (1991-2008), Tom Brokaw (interim, 2008).
h/t to my very own secret source. I'll call him/her Deep Larynx.