The death of Tim Russert left a pretty big hole in the news industry. This being an election year, it shouldn’t need to be said that it’s going to take a pretty big name to fill Russert’s shoes as moderator of the long-running NBC news series Meet The Press. It looks like NBC found just the man, as it was announced yesterday that Tom Brokaw has signed on for the job.
NBC News President Steve Capus seems enthusiastic about Brokaw taking over, saying, “To have someone of Tom's stature step up and dedicate himself to ensuring its ongoing success is not only a testament to his loyalty to Tim, but his enduring commitment to NBC News and our viewers.”. It makes sense that Brokaw’s been chosen for the position, given his long, successful history in the news industry. Plus, he’s obviously a very familiar face, which should hopefully make the transition easier on the guests as well as the viewers. According to NBC’s announcement, Brokaw will serve as moderator through the 2008 presidential election.
Brokaw commented on the position, saying, “I've been appearing on Meet the Press since the days of Watergate when it was moderated by Lawrence E. Spivak right through the distinguished tenure of my great friend, Tim Russert, so I feel right at home. Tim made Meet the Press the center of the universe for informative and lively discussions of public affairs, particularly the exciting 2008 campaign for president, and I intend to continue that commitment to our viewers.”
