Chris Wallace: "Traditional 'Meet The Press' Audience Will Shop Around"

Chris Wallace celebrates his fifth year with the Fox News Channel this Sunday. TV Newser caught up with Wallace and asked him about his new competitor, David Gregory. Wallace sees some poaching opportunities:

TVNewser: As a former Meet the Press moderator (1987-88), what are your thoughts on Gregory possibly being named host of the program?

Wallace: I like David, I think he's a very effective broadcaster. I think he'll do well. But -- and I think he'd be the first to admit it -- he's not Tom Brokaw and he's not Tim Russert.

And I think that some of the traditional Meet the Press audience will shop around.

HuffPost's Danny Shea broke the news that Gregory had been selected as Tim Russert's successor at "Meet the Press."

Comments

[DebbieinPhx]

I was just sickened by the choice of David G for moderator of MTP. Give me a break already!!! I watch the entire MSNBC cable news with ONE notable exemption.­.. 1600 Penn Ave,... David Gregory YOU are NO Tim Russert... and YOU never ever will be....

For pity sakes... allllllllll the freakin' talent on MTP and they pick HIM? The execs at MSNBC need to be DUNCE slapped right across the back of their collective lame brained skulls.... And no, I will no longer be watching MTP either.

BOOOOOOOOO­OOOOOOOOOO­O...... the execs at MSNBC.... you guys BLEW IT! Hopefully a month or two at the BOTTOM of Sunday AM talk shows will teach you what millions of people already realize... David G has neither the depth, the dynamics nor the talent to pull of this show. What a bunch of morons.... gggeeezzz

[rejoiceinit]

I have a feeling that John King is going to poach way more viewers than Chris Wallace ever will.

[MrPragmatic]

David G. is a horrible choice. And for the first time ever, I have to agree with Chris Wallace. I don't think that Chuck Todd is any better of a choice, however, as he is to effete. You need more of an old school type ( somebody who you can picture having a martini at lunch and a cigar burning in their office while they work.)

[davidsandiego]

the most boring pick, give it 6 months.

this guy is terrible and partisan like brokaw, even thought they try to hide it.

[Kohimama]

Chris Wallace works for Fixed News. He has no credibility.

[BLinCincinnati]

He is right on this one. I removed MTP from my TiVo and will just watch "This Week" on Sundays now.

[KataVideo]

The guy has no gravitas. What's he ever done, other than get promoted? A living symbol of all that is wrong with the news business.

[DebbieinPhx]

It's called the Peter Principle.­... you are elevated to your highest level of incompeten­ce... this is truly the case here. The nutballs at the helm of MSNBC have totally outdone themselves with this choice.

[21400]

i wish they would have picked Chuck Todd i really like him i think Gregory is kinda boring

[Titus Pullo]

I've waited long enough: I never watched any of these shows, ever. Even as a youngster when my parents watched, I felt it was some sort of staged theater - a bad TV show. I tried for a short while when I was in my 20s and again in my 30s, I really did, but I never believed the people being interviewed, and I thought the people interviewing were bought and paid for. Call me the ultimate sceptic, but I won't be shopping around because I never "used the product." AFAIC, the big three networks can go under just as the big three automakers. You make the bed, you lie in.

[zest]

And Chris Wallace is not Mike Wallace. Are they still related?

[mediamarv]

Yeah, all twelve of them, and that includes the director's mom.

[Grulg]

Gregory was a safe pick, I suppose--I would have preferred Gwen Ifill or someone, but at least NBC went from within instead of grabbing an outsider. Let's see how it goes first before jumping all over Gregory--wish the press would do the same as far's Hillary is concerned, but then again hypocrisy was never anything the MSM worried about-so why should they now?

[ajax2]

And Chris, if they're looking for intelligent political conversation on Fox, they'll have to wait for Homer Simpson and Peter Griffen to come on later that evening.

[nycplayboy78]

I was disappointed that they (NBC) didn't select Gwen Ifill. It would have been refreshing to have a different point of view rather than the "same ole same ole." I really wanted an African-American point of view on Sunday morning talk shows but alas I will have to stick with MHz, PBS, NPR, and International News. I watched MTP today for the hour long interview with President-Elect Obama. I will not be watching MTP in the future but maybe if they diversify their round table and have more people of color inputing their views etc....

[CabaretArtist]

I'll miss the show. I definitely will not watch with Gregory. He's a good journalist, but a terrible moderator. MSNBC does need to get some color in their talk-show line ups. All these white men and then one token-lesbian. Thank goodness for her, tough. She's, Rachel Maddow, is the saving grace for me continuing to watch MSNBC. You expect Faux News to be lilly-white like throughout and racist overtly, but MSNBC...it­'s troubling at best. At any rate, online news is taking over and hopefully, these television shows will get spiced up with more latinos, blacks, native americans, asians, etc.....we­'ve had decades upon decades of the all white view. Shades of gray, please. PEACE ON THE PLANET

[Einstein44]

CabaretArtist,

You are definitely speaking and playing my kind of music.
Bravo and a double touche on your comments !!

[GiannaX]

So...what happens to "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue"?

[CabaretArtist]

Mika from Morning Joke is taking that over. Hopefully, that will end the morning nightmare that is Joe-Horro-borough and co.

[Beantownbadboy]

She's going to be on at dinner time? Thanks for the warning. How this woman gets a contract is beyond me.

[GiannaX]

Mika is taking over, for real?

[DebbieinPhx]

Oh God, please just make it go away....it is booooooorrrrrring! Maybe they can give Chucky Todd that slot, he was just down right impressive through out the election..­.that way at least the week day calendar will be solid.

[CindyKay]

Tim Appeared as a Regular Guy , Brokaw & Gregory are tools !

[MinasTirith]

They are tools, but with one exception:

A tool is something that actually has a use.

David Gregory is actually quite useless. If not as a 'reporter' then certainly as any sort of moderator.

He's a walking snooze fest. No real drilling questions. No real ability to see the whole picture.

But NBC is so concerned over their 'appearance' that they chose him to seem as if they are centrist, when Gregory is tilted to the right, and only makes obligatory comments to appear otherwise.