As the entire news division at NBC is under scrutiny, the newly hired news boss Deborah Turness, brought in to shake up the moribund news division, is eyeing cutbacks in the DC bureau, which produces Meet The Press and provides political news coverage to NBC's Nightly News with Brian Williams.
Meet the Press dropped to a 21 year low in the ratings this past summer compared to ABC's This Week and CBS's Face the Nation.
One rumor has Turness considering extending Morning Joe hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski's duties to include hosting Meet the Press on Sunday Mornings (as George Stephanopoulous does with GMA).
[NBC News Boss Deborah] Turness, brought on in August to shake up the moribund news division — where “Meet the Press” and “Today” had stumbled — is in the midst of a host of end-of -year buyouts and cost reductions, sources said.
The current moves are not the first time Turness has irked journalists under her command.
NBC veterans have complained privately that Turness is not serious enough, sources said.
“Instead of getting better, NBC News has been getting worse,” said one executive. “It’s a mess.”
Turness was recruited to drag Today out of second place but the fallout is obviously hitting all programs under the division, and DC bureau people are not happy.
Particularly distressed by the changes is the DC bureau team, whose duties include providing political coverage to “Nightly News with Brian Williams” and Sunday talk show “Meet The Press.”
It sounds like anything is possible.
Turness has been trying to figure out the future for David Gregory’s “Meet the Press,” with options including bringing in MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” team of Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski for a Sunday show, or blowing up the entire franchise and trying something completely different, sources familiar with the situation said.
Meet the Press has a long, storied history and is the longest running news show on television (something they remind viewers of every week) but it seems they have sat on their reputation too long. Tim Russert with all his flaws was well loved and brought the franchise much respect. Their choice of David Gregory in my opinion was a huge mistake and made the show unwatchable, and I know many here agree. If this move leads to the show's demise, it would be a champagne cork popping moment of schadenfreude for me.