NBC will need "four or five" people to replace Russert

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT: With Tim Russert’s Death, NBC News Must Replace a Man of Many Roles
By BILL CARTER and JACQUES STEINBERG
Published: June 16, 2008


(Virginia Sherwood/NBC,via Reuters)
Tim Russert appeared across NBC’s political news programs.

The sudden death of Tim Russert has left the management of NBC News, for the moment at least, at a loss to contemplate how to replace him. Mr. Russert was not only the moderator of “Meet the Press,” television’s most successful political talk show, he was also the chief of NBC’s Washington bureau, responsible for the hiring of staff members and directing its operations. More significantly, he was NBC’s public face on politics, appearing regularly on the network’s full range of programs, including the “Today” show, NBC’s “Nightly News,” and on its cable news channel MSNBC.

“It’s going to take four or five people to replace Tim,” said Bob Schieffer, Mr. Russert’s competitor for two decades on CBS’s Sunday program, “Face the Nation,” in a telephone interview from a barge in the Burgundy region of France, where he was vacationing. “They’ve got to find a moderator for ‘Meet the Press.’ They’ve got to find a manager for that bureau. They’ve got to find someone who understands as much about politics as Tim does and there aren’t many people who do. They’ve got to find someone who is willing to get up in the morning and go on the ‘Today’ show and do the ‘Nightly News’ and then stay up late to go on MSNBC.”...

***

...(T)he list of potential names to assume the moderator role on “Meet the Press” is already well known. From inside NBC, the potential candidates include the evening news anchor, Brian Williams, who would be doing double duty (as Mr. Schieffer did for a time at CBS), correspondents David Gregory and Andrea Mitchell and MSNBC hosts like Chris Matthews, Joe Scarborough and Keith Olbermann. Several of those names are already lightning rods for critics, however.

NBC could smooth the transition by offering the post on a temporary basis to Mr. Brokaw, who stepped down as the network’s anchor in 2004. Because of past associations both with NBC and Mr. Zucker, Katie Couric will also very likely be mentioned as a possibility, with her tenure as the anchor of the “CBS Evening News” widely expected to end sometime in the next year.

In planning election coverage without Mr. Russert, NBC has him to thank. He was widely regarded as a good judge of talent and a good mentor at the network, and the list of successors includes many people, including Ms. Couric and Gwen Ifill of PBS, whom he recruited or encouraged....

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/16/business/media/16russert.html?8dpc

[DangerDave921]

1. Not Katie Couric

Seriously, Couric is not even close to Russert in terms of intelligence and insight and preparedness. I swear, she needs to get back to morning TV where she can talk about ways to protect yourself from the sun and a new recipe for strawberry shortcake.

[papau]

10. Couric does have the preparedness. - and more honesty - but Tim was much sharper

[Richardo]

2. They *should* make it a panel again - that's how the show started

Membership on the panel could rotate every so often and be comprised of both sides of the spectrum so that no one person's personality or politics dominated.

I always thought it odd that Tim Russert alone was 'The Press'.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

3. agreed.

no more comment needed.

[DeepModem Mom]

4. Was it once a panel? That sounds like not a bad idea to try again. nt

[Richardo]

5. A quick history:

Meet the Press and similar Sunday-morning interview shows specialize in interviewing national leaders on issues of state economics and foreign policy. These shows help fulfill the obligations of the networks to provide a public service to the community.

The show was originally presented as a 30-minute press conference with a single guest and a panel of questioners. Its first hostess was its creator Martha Rountree, to date the program's only female moderator. She stepped down November 1, 1953, and was replaced by Ned Brooks, who remained as moderator until December 26, 1965. Spivak became moderator January 1, 1966, moving from his role as permanent panelist. He retired November 9, 1975, and was replaced by Bill Monroe, who stepped down June 2, 1984.

<snip>

Network officials, concerned for the show's future, turned to Tim Russert, the network's Washington bureau chief. He took over December 8, 1991, and remained until his death on June 13, 2008, serving as moderator longer than anyone in the program's history. Under Russert, the show was expanded to one hour, and became less of a televised press conference and more focused on Russert, with longer interviews and Russert hosting panels of experts.

...and a pic!

[DeepModem Mom]

8. Thanks so much for this background, Richardo! nt

[pacalo]

6. Absolutely!

[grasswire]

7. couldn't Andrea Mitchell take over MTP?

She's the most politically attuned person left, I believe.

And she's a Washington insider, on the A list.

[papau]

11. R. Maddow needs her own show - and is easily sharp enough -and more honest than Tim was

[grasswire]

12. Rachel never will have the access that Mitchell does.

It takes decades to build those relationships.

Plus, Maddow has already tipped her hand as an outspoken progressive. They'd never let her have MTP.

[sallyseven]

9. Where are they going

to find another person who is willing to kiss ass like he did. He was such a tool for access that it was embarrassing. Not one of the mentioned diva's is suitable. Andrea and Gwen are two Bushites. David Gregory is a possibility but the rest are not very good,. David needs to grow up. Scarborough is a creep without redeeming values. Keith would not be allowed he very often thinks for himself. Mics would be pretty good. She is smarter than most of them

[Stinky The Clown]

13. MTP: Back to the Future - make it a panel

That's how it started ..... and for the history buffs ..... it was first hosted by a woman, Martha Rountree, from the start in 1947, to 1953.

[DeepModem Mom]

14. I think that's a great idea -- and didn't know the first host was a woman! nt