"Meet The Press" Ratings Lowest Since David Gregory Became Moderator

[Cash_thatswhatiwant]

"Meet the Press" posted its lowest ratings since David Gregory became moderator this past week, with the show airing Sunday, Feb. 1 averaging just 3.9 million viewers. The show, which featured Senators John Kerry and Kay Bailey Hutchison, as well as a roundtable including Erin Burnett and Steve Forbes, was Gregory's first as moderator to average less than 4 million viewers (he came close on the Sunday between Christmas and New Year's, but he still crossed the 4 million threshold).

NBC notes that its Super Bowl Sunday coverage — which started with Matt Lauer's interview of President Obama and carried through to what the network described as the most-watched television event of all time — bumped "Meet the Press" to irregular start times in most markets and and meant that the public affairs program only aired in 96% of the homes it normally does. Because "Meet the Press" has become "appointment television," this may have contributed to the lower ratings for the week, as would many Super Bowl fans turning to pre-game coverage on, say, ESPN, between "Today" and the game. And were the program shown in 100% of its households, it would likely have crossed the 4 million viewer threshold.

Still, the gap between "Meet the Press" and its competitors — CBS' "Face The Nation" and ABC's "This Week" — is closing, as the below graph shows. This week it was down to just under 600,000 viewers. "Face The Nation" averaged 3.33 million total viewers, while "This Week" came in just behind with 3.32 million total viewers. "This Week" even beat "Meet the Press" on January 11, when George Stephanopoulos interviewed President-Elect Barack Obama (though the margin of victory, 40,000 viewers, was disappointing given the enormity of the interview).

Gregory's highest-rated broadcast — apart from his December 7 handover from Tom Brokaw, which averaged 6.6 million total viewers — came on December 21, when he hosted Condoleeza Rice and averaged 4.8 million total viewers. Since then, his total viewer averages have slid:

"Meet the Press" ratings (total viewer average)
December 21: 4.779 million
December 28: 4.060 million
January 4: 4.715 million
January 11: 4.300 million
January 18: 4.450 million
January 25: 4.190 million
February 1: 3.900 million

While general interest has waned as the fever over President Obama's inauguration has calmed, "Face the Nation" did grow each week between January 11 and January 25, though it did not match its January 4 high of 3.6 million total viewers.

"Face the Nation" ratings (total viewer average)
December 21: 3.124 million
December 28: 2.709 million
January 4: 3.633 million
January 11: 3.010 million
January 18: 3.180 million
January 25: 3.340 million
February 1: 3.330 million

See the graph below, depicting Sunday morning ratings since David Gregory was named moderator of "Meet the Press."



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/05/meet-the-press-ratings-lo_n_164375.html

[Hawkeye-X]

1. Clue to NBC: Fire the dude and find someone else.

*ding*

[williesgirl]

2. Who wants their Sunday coffee served with "Ass". He's a dick.

edited to add: I haven't watched MTP since he started. Can't stand him. Won't watch again til he's gone.

[4 t 4]

3. He is a giant Tool

Meet The Press is very good

[Veritas_et_Aequitas]

My thoughts exactly.

Well, the tool part at least.

[Neecy]

10. same here

There's something smug and smarmy about him that turns my stomach quite aside from the fact that he's a Rethug butt kisser.

Won't watch it again until he's gone.

[davekriss]

25. Ditto

I won't watch MTP again until Gregory is gone. He is such a blatant tool, brings much dishoner to this long running, respectable show.

[AndyA]

4. Take the hint, NBC. Gregory is a loser.

We all know which side his bread is buttered on. I don't like watching him speak, I don't like the sound of his voice, so I watch something else. NBC's advertisers lose me when Gregory is on.

He's a dud, NBC. Dump him and find someone else.

[Oceansaway]

5. he's far to shallow for me to

waste the time looking at his UGLY PIE HOLE....

[Mojorabbit]

22. He does not do his homework

He lets people just spin away without calling them on it. Say what you will about how Tim did, the man did his homework.

[Happyhippychick]

6. David Gregory = enormous tool

I won't watch it anymore, I can't stand that guy.

[spanone]

7. they need someone in that seat that people trust and who is non-partisan

two qualities that mr gregory is lacking

[Eric J in MN]

8. Maybe if they had someone to the Left of that group in the panel, more people...

...would have tuned in.

[rvablue]

9. KEEP IT UP DU!!! It's political junkies like us with our TV sets OFF on Sunday who

will sink this guy.

I'm sure NBC only signed him to a year contract to see how it would work out.

Let's get this hack off the air!!!

KEEP THOSE TEEVEES OFF ON SUNDAY OR TURN TO ANOTHER CHANNEL!!!

:woohoo: :party: :evilgrin: :woohoo: :party: :evilgrin: :woohoo: :party: :evilgrin:

[jillan]

11. Duh - I used to watch it every weekend, now I only watch if someone I want to see in on the show.

Huge mistake to put that weasel on as moderator.

[tanyev]

12. Ol' Stretch is starting to contract.

[Lugnut]

13. No surprise there.

David Gregory stinks up the place.

[DeepBlueC]

14. now we can haz Gwen Ifill?

someone we can take seriously.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

15. He should bring back Mc Rove and go out on tour. I'm sure that will help. nt

[L0oniX]

16. Next time read your viewer emails ...ya morons ...you would have known...

that we don't like the boring asscarrot David Gregory.

[WI_DEM]

17. Good, David Gregory's ego needed some deflating.

[Stinky The Clown]

18. maybe he and his buddy Karl can do Dancing With The Stars for Money

I hope he crashes.

They should have given the show to Dan Rather until they found someone who could grow into the role.

[MadMaddie]

19. I guess no one could see that coming!

:crazy:

[bdamomma]

20. well we called it, we all said if David Gregory was to host

no one would be watching.

[ailsagirl]

21. Apart from everything else, he's dull as dirt... b-o-r-i-n-g

[Mudoria]

23. You mean other than 3.9 million people watching?

[Art_from_Ark]

24. Meet the Press just hasn't been the same

since Lawrence Spivak retired