Williams To Host "Meet The Press" Sunday

(AP)  "NBC Nightly News" anchor Brian Williams will host the next "Meet the Press" but the network hasn't chosen a permanent replacement for Tim Russert, an NBC News spokeswoman said Thursday.

NBC News will announce the guests for the show with Williams on Friday, spokeswoman Allison Gollust said.

Tom Brokaw was the host Sunday, two days after Russert died of a heart attack. The show was a tribute to its longtime host.

Brokaw joked about jockeying for the job while speaking at Russert's memorial service in Washington on Wednesday. He noted the leaders of politics and journalism who were in the audience, with the largest contingent those who think they should be Russert's successor on "Meet the Press."

The MSNBC cameras cut to a shot of Steve Capus in the audience, the NBC News president who will be making that decision.

NBC News reporters David Gregory and Andrea Mitchell are considered possible permanent choices, along with "Hardball" host Chris Matthews. Williams, anchorman of "NBC Nightly News," could do it but that would make for a tough schedule. There is also some sentiment toward having Brokaw, the longtime nightly news anchor, do the job temporarily.

It's an important decision for NBC, since "Meet the Press" was a clear leader in the Sunday morning talk show ratings, chiefly on the strength of Russert's personality. The show reportedly makes more than $60 million in revenue for the network and often had a waiting list for advertisers.

NBC also needs to find someone who will fill Russert's role as Washington bureau chief.

By David Bauder

[jpwalsh123]

I second Dan Rather. Can''t think of anyone more independent minded or more experienced.

[baileyccc]

Dan Rather

[samthetvcat]

What ever happened to that guy who used to be on Dateline - Keith Morrison? Did he get downsized with Stone Phillips? Otherwise maybe he''d be good . . .

[notopennshut]

OMG! The very name of Nancy Grace is enough to make me shudder and then puke. I switch the channel whenever she comes on. Her pretentiousness and arrogance is a definite turn-off, not only for me but for countless others. Sure, she has many admirers who gush about her beauty and everything else, so who cares. Greta is zillion times better than her, even Stern!

[rushlimpdrug]

Before becoming the next host, the
candidates should show us their tax returns.

This would only be fair.

Unless they have something to hide.

C''mon, show us the tax returns.

[closethippy1]

Sorry about Tim Russert''''s passing but he and Brian Williams treated Hillary Clinton terrible during the campaign. All Russert & Williams could dwell on was their baby Bommer. NBC still gives him all the air time possible and hardly even mentions McCain. Guess the muslim has paid them off too. They are so bias.
Posted by seriousinusa at 08:07 PM : Jun 19, 2008

This guy is gay.

[closethippy1]

KEITH OLBERMANN!!! KEITH OLBERMANN!!! KEITH OLBERMANN!!!
Thank you.

[sgtrds-e4]

Brokaw.

[formrusmcsgt]

NBC News reporters David Gregory and Andrea Mitchell are considered possible permanent choices...
---
Neither can do the job well.

Mitchell whines as bad a Couric and Gregory is like a rabid dog when not following a scipt.

[tcoleman12]

Williams in there, seriously? He is no Russert, for that matter neither is Brokaw...

You could put a photo of Russert in along with some sound bites of previous interviews and come out better than Brokaw and Williams.

One dead guy already has a show...Larry King Live!