Former NBC News anchor Tom Brokaw has been named interim moderator of Meet the Press. He will moderate MTP beginning Sunday, June 29 and will serve in that post through November's presidental election.Former host Tim Russert died of a heart attack June 13. Brokaw also hosted a special MTP edition last week that recounted Russert's life and career. Current Nightly News anchor Brian Williams moderated today's MTP telecast.The AP reports Brokaw discussed taking over the moderator post with NBC News president Steve Capus while riding the train back from Washington to New York from Wednesday's memorial service for Russert."The plan is for me to be in place until they can find somebody who can take it over on a permanent basis," Brokaw said.In addition to finding a full-time MTP moderator to take over following November's elections, NBC must find someone to fill Russert's shoes as Washington bureau chief. — J.R. WhalenRelated:• Cheers: A Memorable Tim Russert Memorial• Who ...
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NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams will moderate Meet the Press this Sunday, according to a network spokeswoman. Williams is taking over the chair while the news division's executives deliberate over choosing a long-term replacement for their late colleague, Tim Russert.Williams was a White House correspondent before he was groomed to be successor to Brokaw for Nightly News. If Williams' assignment lasts, he won't be the first to do double duty on an evening newscast and a Sunday public affairs show. Face the Nation's Bob Schieffer continued to moderate his show while he was interim anchor of CBS Evening News. — Stephen BattaglioRelated:• Did NBC News Go Overboard with Russert?• The Biz Asks: Who Will Be Russert's Successor?• Matt Roush Remembers Tim Russert, TV's Political Enthusiast
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The "big three" networks are putting ratings wars aside for at least one day in September when ABC, NBC and CBS will each "Stand Up to Cancer" by airing a fund-raiser to benefit research.Each of the nets will donate one hour of commercial-free, primetime coverage to the telethon simultaneously, says Variety. Each of the networks' evening news anchors — Charles Gibson, Brian Williams and Katie Couric (whose husband died of colon cancer in 1998) — made the rounds on each network's morning shows today to promote the telethon, on which they will all appear as well.The fund-raiser will air Sept. 5 and will feature live performances from music artists as well as appearances from film and TV stars, none of which have been announced at this time. — Adam Bryant
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That voice you are now hearing introducing anchorman Brian Williams at the top of each NBC Nightly Newscast belongs to none other than Gordon Gekko. Recalling the decision to recruit Michael Douglas' pipes, Williams tells the AP, "I appealed to Michael's sense of romance and sentimentality and his love of the industry.... I called him and said, 'On top of all you've done as an actor, producer and Academy Award winner, this will mean a small slice of immortality in our industry. It also means wherever you are on Earth, at 6:30 pm Eastern time, you'll know your voice is on the air.'"Now if we can just get Catherine Zeta-Jones to be the weather girl....
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Question: I have seen a few criticisms of Brian Williams' decision to host Saturday Night Live, people saying that as a newsman he would be denigrating his integrity, Edward R. Murrow would be spinning in his grave, yada, yada. I normally don't watch the show, but as a (print) journalist, I was curious to see Williams' performance. I think there's a line between pandering yourself for cheap laughs and showing an ability to poke fun. In my opinion, Williams did a great job of demonstrating the latter. He was really entertaining and showed comedic ability, and it's not like now I'll no longer find his news reports credible. Perhaps this would've been unthinkable in the days of Walter Cronkite or even Tom Brokaw. But even if this was just a gimmick for NBC Nightly News to reach out to a "hipper" audience, I can't help but be happy and relieved for Williams. It must have felt like Lorne Michaels approached him to try skydiving for the first time. And to know he survived it without serious ...
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