"This Week" Tops "Meet The Press," #1 In Total Viewers And Demo For First Time Since 1999

NEW YORK — ABC's "This Week" beat NBC's "Meet the Press" in a clean ratings fight for the first time in a decade, Nielsen Media Research said on Thursday.

It was June 1999 when ABC's show last beat NBC's program in a contest without substitute hosts, sports pre-emptions or presidential visits.

It's an ominous sign for David Gregory, who was called upon to take over NBC's long dominant Sunday morning show following Tim Russert's death from a heart attack last year. While it's only one Sunday in August, "This Week" has been steadily gaining ground since the beginning of the year.

The ABC show had 2.8 million viewers on Sunday, compared to 2.77 million for "Meet the Press," Nielsen said. CBS' "Face the Nation" with Bob Schieffer had 2.3 million viewers and "Fox News Sunday" with Chris Wallace had 920,000.

Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan was on ABC this week. So was Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner. Gregory's lead guest was Larry Summers, director of the National Economic Council.

"We're gratified that people are paying attention," said "This Week" host George Stephanopoulos. "We just do everything we can to put on the best broadcast we can each week, to be on the news and to be provocative."

Stephanopoulos frequently takes "This Week" out of Washington, and believes this helps the show with bookings. He traveled to Iran in April to interview that nation's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He accompanied Vice President Joe Biden on a trip to Iraq a month ago.

Administrations tend to rotate their officials around the Sunday morning shows on a more-or-less equal basis. But for other newsmakers, until Russert's death, it tended to be "Meet the Press" and then everyone else.

A more competitive ratings race may change the balance of power in bookings; Greenspan hadn't appeared on "This Week" in more than a decade until last fall and again this past week. Both times, he was a ratings-grabber for ABC.

Stephanopoulos has also shaken up the roundtable discussion that's a centerpiece of his show, adding voices like Peggy Noonan, Donna Brazile and Michelle Malkin to traditional participants Sam Donaldson, Cokie Roberts and George Will.

An NBC spokeswoman had no comment, other than to point out "Meet the Press" is on pace to win the quarter and year in ratings. NBC had kept its ratings strong when the veteran anchor Tom Brokaw filled in for Russert for several months, but Gregory faces an experience deficit compared to Schieffer and Stephanopoulos.

Comments

[4midable]

David Gregory always seems to be absolutely gleeful presenting polls and or statistics that show Obama failing in some way. This is simply and extension of his election perspective. As a pro-Bush commentator, Gregory has not learned the Russert lesson that great journalism begins with objectivity and depth of knowledge. Viewers like myself are gravitating to George because his roundtable doesn't tilt right. Even George's righties have a more intelligent more thoughtful perspective than Gregory does. MTP has lost its way as the most in-depth, thought provoking Sunday morning destination.

[BLBass]

Yes, that roundtable does tilt right! Simply because it's usually Will/Brooks/Noonan instead of Graham/Gin­grich/Malk­in doesn't change the policies they are arguing for. Well, mostly. Also, particularly when there is a military-focused panel member, the panel is often 2-3 (moderate-­to-)right, 1 left (Donaldson or Krugman, usually, and Cokie Roberts sure doesn't count here!), and George trying to be journalistic and impartial (so more moderate than he really is).

[peter777]

Let me just pile on. Gregory is not equipped to do Meet the Press. He is too in love with his conservative views, and he presses them on his guests. He does not engage his guests in dialogue. He just pursues the questions and tack that was laid out before the show or interview began. It is a disgusting display of "journalism."

[Brownforall01]

casper throws hardballs to democrats and softballs to conservative.

[BLBass]

Not that Stephanopoulos is any great shakes (especially with the Will/Noonan contingent so prominently featured week in-week out), but there's really no contest is there? Gregory is so blatantly toolish, his emails to Gov. Sanford in particular point out the quid pro quo we've always suspected was present on these fora, and he's trying to fill the shoes of a significantly better (IMO) and more objective journalist so he is held to something of a higher standard than his competitors. Of course he's going to fall off the lead, and ABC is doing a good job jockeying for the new pole position. That said, I do believe Gregory is trying to put on the best show he can. I just don't think he learned the right lessons from Russert's dominance.

[NYCPub]

David Gregory is a sycophant to power. He likes getting invited to fancy soires much more than he likes journalism. In fact, he's on television so no one should confuse him with a journalist to begin with, but where sometimes George will take offense to being lied to, David Gregory has no such issues.

[fabricnthreads]

MTP hasn't been #1 for a long time. The ratings are finally catching up to the content.

[teron678]

LOL . .well said

[IcedTee63]

Sure John Stewart's Daily Show is a Comedic take (for the most part) on Politics, but there is a passion for the process, that David Gregory just doesn't seem to have. G.S. is smoother and more willing to point out (okay attack) an inconsistency made by the person he is interviewing than Gregory, who simply lets his Conservative bias direct how he speaks to his guest, even Chris Wallace of FOX does a better interview!

[dmspeech]

I vote for Lawrence O'Donnell. I gave Gregory a chance but he leans to the conservative side and doesn't bother to hide it. So, it's his own fault that moderates/liberals have moved away from MTP. As Eugene Robinson says (I'm paraphrasing) not every story has two equal sides.

[the964kid]

Has anybody watched MTP recently?? This isn't much of an honor for This Week - LOL.

[booker52]

Gee it only took a year to realize that David isn't winning the viewer shares. Not surprised, he just doesn't have it to be a good moderator. Get someone else who will ask the hard questions.

[ignorantwillyharper]

Like maybe John Stewart?

[koyak23]

Dr. Rachel Maddow

[OneLessReason]

Ed Shultz would be great.

[SouthPrairie]

Well, they didn't listen to their viewers....go figger.

[afgail]

The problem is that not only is Gregory less experienced he has a lower IQ, which seems to be a requisit for being a conservative Republican.

[truthglow]

Not only that, but a gene missing in the conscience end!!!

[orpark]

David Gregory has a hard time hiding his "conservative" views and is Boring Boring Boring. Chuck todd would have been better or Donna Brazile. You can ask tough questions without appearing snarky like Gregory does. George is by far better.

[truthglow]

Anyone's better!

[SouthPrairie]

Both would have been EXCELLENT choices. But Gregory....yuck!

[MNmommy]

Should have gone with Gwen Ifil.

The only live MTP I've watched in months was the one recently with Hillary. Otherwise I dvr the MessNBC re-broadcast and watch George and dvr Schieffer because of conflict.

[raw6464]

You get more real news from Jon Stewart's Daily Show than any of these Sunday "news" shows.
Gregory should go back to the Today Show interviewing cooking chefs.

[NoSillyName]

That is where DG belongs. Towering over everyone and making stupid remarks.