Posted on 08/11/2014 10:11:51 AM PDT by PJ-Comix
No big surprise here but Politico is now reporting that Chuck Todd will probably be replacing David Gregory as host of Meet The Press. It was almost inevitable that NBC News would be ousting Gregory due to the terrible ratings of that Sunday news show while he was hosting. The only question was who was going to replace Gregory and it now seems to be confirmed that the widely acknowledged leading candidate is going to be Todd.
The big question now is if Chuck Todd can put aside his liberal reflexes and provide the Meet The Press audience with some surprises as Tim Russert did or will he follow in the footsteps of David Gregory and treat his job like its purpose is primarily to play defense for the Democrats. Of course, the latter course would be a guarantee of remaining in Meet The Press ratings oblivion. In the meantime, let us read the Politico report which is sure to make Chris Matthews turn green with envy:
(Excerpt) Read more at newsbusters.org ...
I haven’t watched MTP in years. Don’t like Gregory and don’t like Todd. What incentive is there to watch? It’s all-snark all the time.
David Gregory is a A-Hole....I assume his replacement will be too!!
I’ll bet that Chuck Todd gets twelve months to turn around the ratings or he’ll be let go from the show. Something tells me....he’s an fill-in for a year and there’s someone else they’d like to sign but can’t currently touch.
I'm going to predict the answer will be "No."
replacing one smarmy democRAT punk with another....
Why not put White Hut spokestwit Josh Earnest in there and be done with it.
....and just who would that be? Hmmmmmmmmmmm...................
http://newsbusters.org/blogs/mark-finkelstein/2011/12/14/nbcs-chuck-todd-flips-bird-live-national-tv#ixzz3A6nByOZW
yawn
However, they'll probably go ahead with it. The next host of Meet The Press will be:
Luke Russert
You read it here first..
Mr. Castrati
Tom was certainly earning his paycheck back in those days. However, it’s interesting to look back at how he was viewed by NBC management in those days; as a local anchor, he was invaluable—Snyder took WNBC from an asterisk to #1 at 6 pm in only a year, generating millions for the company. Tomorrow was also a nice little profit center for the network as well.
But Snyder was never a serious contender for the anchor chair on “Today” or “Nightly News.” He was one of several NBC correspondents who were auditioned for the Today slot after Frank McGee’s death, and (as you point out) he anchored the Sunday version of Nightly News for a time in the mid-70s. Unfortunately, the suits at NBC viewed him as more of an entertainer than an anchor, so Tom Brokaw (who had been sucking up to John Chancellor and David Brinkley since his days at KNBC) was groomed for those jobs and got them.
Snyder could be a pain, but he was also incredibly talented—one of the best anchors I ever saw, network or local. But when you’re pegged as an “entertainer,” or “a local guy,” it’s difficult to reach the top rung on the network news ladder. And if you piss off the brass during your run, you’ll find few friends on the way down. NBC was happy to cut him loose after they brought on Rona Barrett and destroyed “Tomorrow,” and Snyder spent the next decade bouncing around until he got that final gig on “The Late, Late Show.”
I remember watching an episode of his late-night talk show with my father in the late '70s where he interviewed Rastafarians. I remember the focus was the "sacrament" of ganja. Wild.
Tom was an original. His monologues were highly entertaining and completely spontaneous.
I worked in broadcasting before embarking on a military career and knew a few folks who wre on the production at NBC in Burbank. Snyder always knew what he wanted to say in his monologue and how he planned to cover it. But there was never any script, cue cards or anything on the teleprompter, other than a reminder of who the first guest would be.
The rest was pure Snyder. He would hold forth on whatever caught his attention, just him in a chair talking into the camera. One of my college professors used a Snyder monologue as an example of how to communicate and there was no disputing his skill. Even Carson had his jokes on cue cards, and some of his famous bits were well-planned. Remember how the baby elephants Jim Fowler brought on the show would try to smell Johnny’s crotch? That’s because he stuffed his pants pockets with peanuts before the segment.
Snyder didn’t do that. All he needed was the camera, a guest and maybe a note card with an introductory question, or the title of the guest’s latest book or movie. He could handle serious topics, or be wildly funny; I remember a young Chicago DJ named Steve Dahl came on the show one night with a tank of helium. Dahl began taking puffs before his answers, so all the responses were delivered in a helium voice. Soon Snyder joined in, so everyone was talking “under the influence.”
At the other end of the spectrum, I’ve watched Snyder’s interview with Charles Manson on a couple of occasions. Still riveting TV, even though it was taped over 30 years ago. You can argue about the wisdom of giving a psycho like Manson a national forum, but Snyder’s interview was the best ever done with that madman, largely because Tom knew how to listen and didn’t let Manson wander off into that psycho-babble he usually engages in. Compare Snyder’s conversation with the interview Manson did with “noted” journalist Charlie Rose in ‘86 and tell me who did the better job.
Snyder was one helluva talent. Even today, I don’t think he gets the credit he deserves.
LOL! Todd at least shows some signs of life. Gregory comes across as brain-dead.
Todd's wife does direct mail advertising for Democratic candidates, so he may actually end up being more liberal onscreen than Gregory.
Luke Russert is still too young and dim for the job. Maybe in 10-15 years.
Effe, effe Chuck.
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