Meet the Press with Tom Brokaw

The speculation can end, at least through the November election.

Tom Brokaw will replace the late Tim Russert as moderator of Meet the Press.

From the New York Times:

Mr. Brokaw anchored the “NBC Nightly News” for 22 years and stepped down four years ago. He is now the special correspondent for NBC News.

“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,” Mr. Brokaw said in a statement. “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.”

The announcement caps a week of whispered speculation about who would replace Mr. Russert, at least temporarily, on the broadcast. Mr. Brokaw’s name had been mentioned, along with the NBC correspondents David Gregory and Andrea Mitchell and the MSNBC host Chris Matthews.

...Update: 12:02 p.m.: “The move provides NBC with a measure of stability during a key time,” the Associated Press adds. “‘Meet the Press’ had dominated the Sunday morning ratings under Russert, making NBC a reported $60 million a year. An anchor with Brokaw’s stature could help prevent viewers from defecting to second-place George Stephanopoulos on ABC, for example.”

I don't know how well Brokaw will do.

He has the role of elder statesman at NBC News. That's very different from Russert's role as interrogator.

Although Brokaw has decades of experience as an interviewer, that seems very distant. More recently, Brokaw speaks with an attitude that his words are worthy of being etched on stone tablets. He's the grand old man, the great authority, the patriarch.

Now, Brokaw will need to come down from his mountain and get down in the trenches in the dirt again. For the program to succeed, he'll need to be involved in exchanges with guests rather than making pronouncements.

Still, I think putting Brokaw in Russert's chair is the best NBC could do.

This critical election period isn't the time to be trying out other hosts, like the often goofy David Gregory or the starry-eyed, slobbering, thrill up his leg, Obama worshipper Chris Matthews.