David Gregory To Anchor Weekly Hour On MSNBC

MSNBC continues to shake up its dayside lineup.

Just one day after announcing Dylan Ratigan would join the network as a weekday anchor from 9-11 AM, the Baltimore Sun's David Zurawik gets David Gregory on the record saying he'll be hosting a weekly MSNBC hour, possibly Wednesdays at 11AM:

When asked for specifics on the heightened MSNBC presence, Gregory said, "What I'm going to try to do is appear where I'll be anchoring an hour once a week at this stage, because I want to be a presence on all of our platforms. And our cable operation MSNBC is terrific....We haven't worked out the details, but the thinking is we'll try to do it Wednesdays at 11 a.m."

The plan is part of Gregory and NBC News' plan to "bring his generation of younger viewers into the Meet the Press tent on Sunday mornings."

"One of the things we know about younger viewers is that they're not necessarily viewers, okay?" Gregory tells Zurawik. "So, I'm not saying to people my age you must come to me. I'm saying I'm going to come to you. I'm going to find you where you are and I'm going to tell you about the things that we're doing on the program."

"Meet the Press" remains the #1 Sunday public affairs program, but its ratings lead is slipping, leading the Los Angeles Times to suggest earlier this week that the show "could soon lose its crown."

Gregory anchored "Race to the White House" (later "1600 Pennsylvania Avenue") on MSNBC until he took over "Meet the Press" from interim moderator Tom Brokaw in December.

Comments

[Dbos]

05:30 PM on 05/15/2009

11am weds. Gee alot of young viewers then . Clueless.

[Marbur]

11:14 PM on 05/10/2009

Lawrence O'Donnell is intelligen­t, is a fact person asks probing questions with the expectatio­n of answers.. No softie is he, no holding back or no holes barred. That's the kind of informatio­n we need. If you have so called experts coming on a show you should expect expert informatio­n, good or bad, agree or disagree, give us a good debate - make America think, engage us MSNBC.

Too much of the same on the air these days not enough stimulatio­n, trivia rules. The crawls give more informatio­n than the hosts & or guests, that is a sad "commentar­y".

[BOin08]

08:01 AM on 05/10/2009

Finally, a voice of sanity on MSNBC

[steelmill]

07:06 PM on 05/09/2009

Another reason to turn the channel

[solarian]

12:34 PM on 05/09/2009

gregory let me know when and I will be sure to miss it

[Patri]

12:17 PM on 05/09/2009

Don't know why they are going to the expense of another show with this guy. I couldn't stand him as a commentato­r on various MSNBC and NBC "news" shows, I hated him on 1600 Pennsylvan­ia Avenue, and I never, ever watch Meet The Press since he became the host. Gregory is too busy trying to get the approval of his guests rather than question them as an investigat­ive journalist would (and should). He is a news reader, a happy lackey, and after the first show, not only did I stop watching MTP, but it seems a number of others have tuned out--MTP is losing its Sunday lead in the ratings, as it should with David Gregory as host. Does MSNBC really think people will become more interested in Gregory with his weekly show and then tune into MTP? I believe it will be a lose-lose situation for the network. Get rid of the bore and bring in some independen­t journalist who will report the news and interview guests honestly--­perhaps, Brian Lizza, Lawrence O'Donnell, Richard Wolfe. There are a number of journalist­s with intelligen­ce and integrity who would bring a large number of viewers back to MSNBC and MTP in a heartbeat if only NBC?MSNBC had the courage to give the public what all have been asking for--hones­t reporting and interviewi­ng by honest reporters.

[Halter]

11:46 PM on 05/10/2009

I agree-but maybe they are preparing a graceful exit from MTP?

[IslandGyal]

10:10 AM on 05/09/2009

Hint, hint clueless, David Gregory, we do NOT like you!!!!!!!

[GunnyJ]

08:41 AM on 05/09/2009

Is there anything called a fresh face with fresh views anymore? I'm tired of seeing the same tired faces with the same tired views, the same tired guest and the same tired twist! Get some fresh faces! Why not try getting a real person from the community to talk about real community problems and successes. We don't need polish and spin, we need to be informed, we need to learn about all American communitie­s as well as global communitie­s. You keep the sensationa­lism and the tired anchors and make it real for the rest of us!

[IcedTee63]

07:26 AM on 05/09/2009

Why give this man a second show? He can't do the one he has!

[biffdowney]

07:00 AM on 05/09/2009

Hey MSNBC....I saw L O'Donnell subbing on the ED show....YO­U MUST FIND HIM SPACE ON YOUR SCHEDULE..­..he toasted those blow-hards­...

[KarateKid]

08:57 PM on 05/08/2009

Gregory must have something on someone at NBC. He is mediocre, a Republican sympathize­r.

[demdan07]

12:00 AM on 05/09/2009

then maybe he is their token republican­! and here I thought that was Joey S.

[ObserverinVancouver]

08:34 PM on 05/08/2009

Wed. at 11:00 a..m. EDT. Great. That's 8:00 a.m. PDT, which is when I really, really should get myself organized to get to the Y. Now I'll know there's nothing worth waiting around for.

[basschakra]

07:35 PM on 05/08/2009

man, L O'D just sat in for ES on the ED show and the man NEEDS his own show. that was most i've enjoyed seein' the neocons get slapped around in quite awhile!!! forget DG...his interview skills suck!! L O'D deserves his shot now!! the man just commands with facts and smack-down­!!

[ObserverinVancouver]

08:29 PM on 05/08/2009

He slammed Frank Gafney and David Rivkin into the ground. What a pair. What a triumph for O'Donnell.

[basschakra]

09:33 PM on 05/08/2009

i coulda sworn that Rivkin actually ditched his earpiece!!­! they had some sorta off-camera stuff happenin' with Rivkin leaning over then saying he couldn't hear. but regardless­, he got toasted!!!

[yellowdogminnesotan]

09:01 AM on 05/09/2009

I watched that too, HOLLY COW! I've never seen such a beat down. Lawrence was like Mohamed ALI of the new community. Float like a Butterfly Stink like a Bee! I couldn't take my eyes of the screen. Give O'Donnell that hour, and watch what he does. Tell David we already got one terrible shown on MSNBC it's Morning Joe, so knock it off.

[sicova]

06:34 PM on 05/08/2009

Love Lawrence O'D. He is a great interviewe­r.

[yellowdogminnesotan]

09:02 AM on 05/09/2009

Give Lawrence his OWN SHOW! Or better yet give him Joe's!

[oldcliche]

05:59 PM on 05/08/2009

I do not like Gregory Sam-I-am
I do not like this lazy ham
I do not like his lack of pose
I do not like him making noise
I do not like the silly ways
he gives his guest such easy days
I could not, would not, watch such a bore
Such interviews I must abhor
Sam-I-am please pick another
on MTP he makes sad his only mother

[jlab]

06:36 PM on 05/08/2009

Well, all of that is surely true,

But, oldcliche, I'm begging you:

Let's not forget the worst offense.

His HAIRCUT makes no friggin' sense!

[hmmmmmer]

07:54 PM on 05/08/2009

And with that puss he has no lips,

But who cares as his ratiing slips

[IslandGyal]

10:13 AM on 05/09/2009

This is great!