NBC wanted Jon Stewart as the new host of Meet The Press (1 Viewer)

[tom22406]

NBC Wanted to Hire Jon Stewart to Host Meet the Press

This Sunday marks Chuck Todd’s one-month anniversary in the anchor chair at Meet the Press. Despite an opening-week ratings spike from his exclusive sit-down interview with President Obama, the Todd-helmed show has settled back into third place behind ABC's This Week and CBS's Face the Nation. This has been frustrating to NBC News executives, who at one point had considered going in a radically different direction with the show.


Before choosing Todd, NBC News president Deborah Turness held negotiations with Jon Stewart about hosting Meet the Press, according to three senior television sources with knowledge of the talks. One source explained that NBC was prepared to offer Stewart virtually “anything" to bring him over. "They were ready to back the Brink's truck up," the source said. A spokesperson for NBC declined to comment. James Dixon, Stewart's agent, did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

It makes sense that NBC would make a run at Stewart. The comedian-cum-media-critic possesses something that broadcast executives covet: a loyal, young audience. And it's not the first time NBC tried recruiting him. According to sources, NBC Entertainment courted Stewart several years ago for a 10 p.m. variety show (the slot ultimately went to Jay Leno). This April, CBS announced Stewart's Comedy Central colleague Stephen Colbert will replace David Letterman next year.

Though not a traditional journalist, Stewart can be a devastatingly effective interrogator, and his Meet the Press might have made a worthy successor to Tim Russert’s no-bull#### interviews. During the home stretch of the 2012 campaign, Stewart grilled Obama for his wan presidential debate performance, asking: "Do you feel you have a stronger affirmative case for a second Barack Obama presidency or a stronger negative case for a Romney presidency?” And last October, Stewart's clinical dissection of HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius laid bare the disaster of the Obamacare rollout, from which Sebelius never recovered.

Perhaps NBC executives were hoping Stewart’s sabbatical from The Daily Show to direct his first feature film last year indicated a certain restlessness they could capitalize on. Alas, they were unsuccessful. Stewart, whose Comedy Central contract extends through next year, declined NBC’s aggressive courtship. He probably recognized that much of his audience wouldn’t rush to turn on their televisions early on a Sunday morning. As Todd told a reporter last month, it’s a tough time slot for the young folks: “Are they rejecting the brand or are they just not getting up?"

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/10/jon-stewart-might-have-been-meet-the-press-host.html

 

[Ghost Rider]

That would be a total waste of Stewart's comedic talent. Glad he didn't take it.

 

[tom22406]

That would be a total waste of Stewart's comedic talent. Glad he didn't take it.

Totally agree and at this point anything would have been an upgrade over Gregory and now Todd,simply brutal to watch that show anymore.

 

[The Commish]

Politicians would never come on the show if he were the host.

 

[Slapdash]

Politicians would never come on the show if he were the host.

They already come on his show though.

The real problem here is that Stewart is very partisan.

 

[The Commish]

Politicians would never come on the show if he were the host.

They already come on his show though.

The real problem here is that Stewart is very partisan.

Some....not many....and none that are "conservative". I doubt even the "liberals" would venture onto the show given the audience of said show. I think the "liberal" politicians who do come on his show now are well aware of who that audience is. Completely different ball game on MTP.

 

[dickey moe]

"Journalism"

 

[tom22406]

If he could drop the shtick he actually is a very good interviewer but that also takes away from what makes him really good so I'm not sure if he could find that happy medium with the audience that normally tunes in to the show.

 

[SIDA!]

Politicians would never come on the show if he were the host.

They already come on his show though.

The real problem here is that Stewart is very partisan.

Like every other host of these shows?

 

[Leroy Hoard]

They should go with this guy: http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/The_Newsman

 

[Gr00vus]

Time for Craig Killborn's big comeback!!!

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

NBC was the first network to fold their news division into the Entertainment division so it would only make sense if they became the first to actually hire an entertainment personality to actually do the news.

Might as well lift the veil now that all ethics and professionalism have left the building.

 

[SaintsInDome2006]

Time for Craig Killborn's big comeback!!!

Really. Smooth move, Craig.

 

[Long Ball Larry]

Stewart was on Stern in November and said this was never offered to him and negotiations didn't even really start. Said it wouldn't have been the right fit anyway.