NBC denied a
New York Post report that "Meet the Press" host David Gregory is being replaced.
The newspaper's Page Six, citing sources it didn't identify, reported Gregory may be gone after the November midterm elections, and that several NBC News personnel are being considered to take the helm of the nation's longest-running television show.
"We heard the same false rumors and suggest you take them with a grain of salt, as we did," an NBC spokesman told Page Six, when asked for comment about Gregory's rumored departure.
Viewership has dropped Gregory took the host seat in late 2008 after moderator Tim Russert died.
The show is in third place behind CBS' "Face the Nation" and ABC's "This Week" in the second quarter ratings race, with ratings dropping 43 percent since Gregory took the chair.
One NBC source told Page Six the discussion at the network is "whether to make a change before or after the midterm elections. Just after the midterms would give the new moderator time to settle in."
The Post quoted people described as "insiders" saying said NBC political director and chief White House correspondent Chuck Todd "is the rightful heir to Gregory" but he has not yet been offered the job. Todd also hosts a weekday morning political show on MSNBC.
Also under consideration is "Today" anchor Savannah Guthrie, according to the newspaper. However, she's highly popular where she is and NBC won't likely remove her from "Today" after she returns from maternity leave, the Post said.
MSNBC's "Morning Joe" team Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski also want a Sunday morning spot, but NBC insiders told Page Six the network is concerned about Scarborough, a former Republican congressman, being too partisan.
In April, NBC News President Deborah Turness sent out a staff memo saying she supports Gregory, and that "some of the chatter has been vindictive, personal and above all – untrue."
Related Stories:
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
© 2024 Newsmax. All rights reserved.