Finger-Pointing At NBC Over Gregory Leak

News that David Gregory has been tipped to anchor "Meet the Press" leaked earlier this week, and since then the folks at NBC have been wondering who did it.

Thursday's NY Post reports:

NBC is holding back from anointing David Gregory as the new host of "Meet the Press" because "they're furious about leaks" that tipped off the media, well-placed sources told Page Six. The infamous in-house squabbling over Tim Russert's replacement "is at a new peak" said one tipster, with some NBC suits and talent sore over the network's widely reported choice of Gregory - who had yet to be confirmed as of last night. An other source said the brass blame MSNBC host Chuck Todd for tipping off media blogs on Gregory's new gig - for which Todd was a top contender - and ruining the announcement that was planned to be made this Sunday by interim "Meet the Press" host Tom Brokaw.

Sunday is Brokaw's final broadcast in the role.

Comments

[littleH]

I think they planned the leak as a way of an opinion poll and instead of seeing more o him maybe it will be less. The hair thing...I think each is glued in place.

[Calvincito]

This is great. They're pissed about a leak. How hypocritical can you be. I'm not impressed with Gregory either. Bad choice. Amanpour would have been great.

[JustMom]

Not impressed with Gregory. Hopefully someone else will take the show and Tim's spot.
Maybe Dan Rather, Tavis Smiley or Christine Amanpour.

[Ccouncil]

They missed an opportunity here...Enough of the white men sunday mornings on pretty much all the news channels. I would have loved to see a woman or someone of another race as host, just to get a different perspective. Oh well, I guess I will continue to get my news from the internet and newspaper.

[SharonWantsToTalk]

There are very few positive posts for Gregory on any of the Blogs regarding Tims replacement. What is NBC thinking? Do they check opinion polls at all? I can't wait for Tom to leave. I have struggled to stay tuned since he has been host. I'll give Gregory a shot, but I already don't like him much. We'll see...

[Physicsmom]

David Gregory is a poor choice. He is boring, boring, boring. My first choice would be Rachael Maddow; as Tina Brown said, she actually listens to the interviewee's answers and responds accordingly, instead of just moving on to a new topic as if nothing had occurred in between. Failing that, Aaron Brown or even Lester Holt might be good options. I sort of like Chuck Todd, but we need to hear more from him than just the number crunching he did during the election cycle. He should take over the morning show from Joe Scarborough and Mika ("oh wow") Brzynzki (sp). I like David Schuster too, but he also needs to pump up the personality. For an outside the box pick, how about Eugene Robinson - I love him! He's probably not looking for a full-time TV gig, but I think he'd be great!

[IndiePenDish]

NBC covers Obama's selection process and has gleaned nothing from it. A top-notch White House team is emerging to meet a new era with new challenges while Meet The Press has missed an opportunity by this safe (softball) choice! It is unfortunate that Meet the Press will continue to be the predictable recapping of the popular media spin show since we lost Tim Russert.

Let's keep roaring until NBC gets it!
(Nothing personal, Mr. Gregory.)

[JonW]

Someone else mentioned Aaron Brown as a desirable host. I agree with that. He was great following Katrina's bumbling rescue efforts.and offering his ascerbic, truthful observations . Cost him his job but his work was monumental. His replacement on CNN,Anderson Cooper looks amateurish, by comparison!

[Fernando]

Aaron Brown would be GREAT on that chair, better than Russert ever was. However, I don't think Brown lost his job on CNN over anything other than management wanting young looking reporters; Anderson Cooper hosted alongside Brown for at least a month before Brown left the network.

BTW, I do respect the memory of Tim Russert, but after all the eulogizing and the praise of how he used to put politicians "in the hot seat every Sunday", I'm convinced the press and pundits were talking about another Tim Russert than the one I occasionally watched on NBC. I never saw that incisive, intrepid, fearless and tough host they kept talking about.

[Solja]

You'd have to follow politics to know what the big deal was because Russert would ask a question and if they didn't answer it, he'd ask it more directly until they did. If they lied, or spinned, and many did, he'd have proof to show them, then watch them swim out of that pit. ALL politicians, media and politico's all over the country watched Russert for a reason.

[JonW]

Do people at large really care about who hosts Meet the Press? The BS artist guests are usually not informative and certainly not entertaining> There ae too many other venues around to get "the scoop".

[Solja]

If you're looking for an entertaining political show in MTP, it's not the show for you. MTP is for the hardcore political junkies who want to know what's going on. MTP is where they find out. I have watched the show for at least 15 years and miss Tim Russert immensely. Truth be told, nobody can replace him. He was the one newsman that I trusted to tell me the truth. He was Meet the Press.

[MakersMark]

Solja, I agree and that's why I miss Tim. He did not care whether it was a Republican or Democrat, he called their arses to the carpet and the majority of the time with proof!

David Gregory has already proven himself to be a Republican hack! If we've been use to getting a particular thing from this program for a lot of years, why in the world would NBC think that a complete turn around in the other direction be acceptable to the viewing public?

I don't get it!

[DZWAY]

David Gregory, are you kidding me. Meet the press has lasted through the years by being a show that had charismatic, thoughtful, cerebreal, and true ""fair and balanced hosts. David Gregory does not fit that tradition. As a press secretary Mr. Gregory made a name for himself by antagonizing Bush with some very difficult questions, but there is a diffrence in asking "got-ya" questions and asking "got-ya" questions that spur thought and debate that examines an issue on a more complex level. That is the tradition of Meet the Press, having a forum that is ran by a gentleman that examines issues and situations from all sides in a thoughful and gentleman like manner. David Gregory just does not possess the qualitys that a MTP host should possess in my opinion. I think somebody like Chuck Todd who is not as loud and confrontational, but still finds a way to drive his commentary home in a very precise way would be a much better choice. David Gregory is a good reporter, and probably a good host in another type of format. But to make him the MTP host would tarnish, and maybe ruin what has made that institution great over the years. There is a reason MTP has lasted so long, it has a formula for success and Mr Gregory does not fit that formula in my opinion.

[mtrav]

Press Secretary? He is/was the chief white house correspondent for NBC. But you're right about one thing, he was pathetic at his job, but then again, so were the rest of the reporters, other than Helen Thomas, the only one real correspondent who would ask the right questions but was shunted aside, ex-communicated as it were, by the white house, for always asking the embarrassing, pointed questions that needed to be asked.

[Solja]

I agree. Gregory is a better reporter than host.

Besides that, he needs a hair stylist. I hate ... absolutely hate his dry looking hair. lol

[esgabel]

What about David Schuster for meet the Press?

[meltingpot101]

Mika Brazinski to take Gregory's spot on 1600.....

[esgabel]

Goodbye Meet the Press! Goodbye 1600...both are disasters!

[classc 1]

Are you kidding me? Please tell me...WHOM exactly are making these choices over at MSNBC? Are they trying to destroy the network? Mika is a clueless disaster!!

[Solja]

She gets on my nerves. She does women a disservice by being a ditz. Her father needs to school her some, but she seems to be embarassed by him or ashamed of him or something. Anyway, she needs to be on local news. I don't see the point of her at all.

[tellusthetruth]

THUD!...he is a dud!

[Delta4Life]

Doesn't he deserve a chance to fail?

[Delta4Life]

Tim Russert was MTP. NBC's biggest mistake will be trying to continue in that vein with a host not named Tim Russert. I think NBC has decided to go in another direction with the show hence the choice of Gregory. I don't think Gregory is a good choice but will give him a few shows to see how he does. RM is good on MSNBC but probably too new for NBC to take a chance on. The plus for NBC is that they are not head-to-head with any strong shows in that time slot. I'm on the east coast and my Sunday starts with Chris Wallace @ 9, MTP @ 10, and This Week @11. This might not get me a lot of fans but with the change Fox has the best host on Sunday!

[Solja]

Maybe but you're not getting the truth out of Fox.