Pic Of The Moment: As Ratings Plummet, NBC Considers Changes To "Meet The Press" Format

[EarlG]

As Ratings Plunge NBC Considers Dumping David Gregory From Meet The Press



Follow @demunderground

[Scuba]

1. "Dances with Roves"

[Treant]

7. Ha!

I tend to refer to it as "Meet Karl Rove" or "Meet John McCain."

[Spitfire of ATJ]

28. Sometimes "Meet The Press" is just that. An entire panel of media people.....

As if the opinion of people in the news is news.

[Joe Bacon]

36. What I am dreading!

NBC fires Blondie and replaces him with Little Luke Russert.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

47. Too bad those Sunday Blather Shows are such a joke.....

Some day we might have someone who actually tells Republicans they are WRONG instead of giving them legitimacy.

[Enthusiast]

32. +1! That would be more accurate. Seriously.

Also, "Hear some Republicans answer some softball questions."

[calimary]

45. Welcome to DU, Treant!

Glad you're here! david gregory is nothing but a wholly-owned subsidiary. I'm surprised he hasn't had kkkarl rove on as his special guest on "Meet the Press" more often. Oh, I guess having john mccain on almost every week without fail pretty well covers that.

[calimary]

44. That's exactly what I thought.

That sad moment was, I think, around the time our friend david switched over to the Dark Side. He was like a dog on a pants leg with scott mcclellan during that news conference in early 2004 when the questions began about bush's "military service" in the Texas Air National Guard Champagne Squad. I was watching and cheering and salivating. He was magnificent! And then somebody got to him. Because that was the last time he exhibited any such magnificence that I saw or noticed.

[oldandhappy]

2. just tried to send an email re this

Email to NBC not working. So have a letter ready to put in the mail box. I am suggesting positive things. Maybe you will want to do the same. I think we need to encourage them to get away from the format.


Chatter this morning about getting rid of Meet the Press host.

A whole new idea would be good. I do not watch Sunday morning because of McCain McCain McCain --- You get the idea.

Off the top of my head, 1) News of the week in review -- recap of what we actually know rather than recycled speculation,

2) Bills actually before the House and Senate and quick review of each one so we can email our reps and senators,

3) Once a month a recap of actual votes,

4) Once a month round table of reporters from respected newspapers (not TV) to discuss a focused topic,

5) now and then something along the lines of a TED talk showing historical context of a current issue.

Some suggestions. Doubt you will change, but fun to give you ideas.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

4. Good ideas

Also, I would add that I would love to see some actual "balance" with some rotating guests from BOTH parties and of differing ideologies. I don't want to see John McCain on several different shows every week. Also, I don't want to hear just from "centrist" Dems or Blue Dogs that basically agree with whatever the Republican pundit(s) are saying (or arent' too far removed anyway). I believe that they have some Tea Party types on from time to time. Why not somebody from the progressive caucus? You know, just to shake it up a bit?

[oldandhappy]

5. Yep!

Say it!

NBC News, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, New York 10112

[Proud Liberal Dem]

6. I'll put in a word

[butterfly77]

10. Agreed,but...

Some progressives who will shake it up a lot.

[MADem]

16. I would like to see the newsmakers who are crabbing AT the politicians every now and again.

And a panel of the 'press' they could meet, who would ask them questions.

Gregory, or whomever, would serve as the moderator and would correct bias if needed (i.e. too many questioners ask about one aspect of an issue, but not another).


That's how it used to be--it worked, too.

Nowadays, it's all about the politicians selling their POV...we need a little more "Say, THIS SUCKS" from We, The People. Of course, we need "people" to articulate these views--not vote seeking politicos.

[AlbertCat]

37. How about ....

excluding as guests operatives/ congresscritters/ commentators/ politicians who were WRONG about everything and everyone for the past 30 years?????

[oldandhappy]

38. amen!

Say it!

NBC News, 30 Rockefeller Center, NYC

[yuiyoshida]

3. Wow, Psy is still doing Gungnam style?

I think people are tired of it already. We were all hoping he would come out with a new hit. Seems his video "Gentleman" was very misogynist, and of course it fell like a boulder down a very steep hill. I hope he doesn't plan on doing Gungnam til he is in his 70's..that might be a bit embarrassing.

[Nanjing to Seoul]

9. What. . .a Korean man is sexist? Really. . .I never would have figured that out living in Suji

when I did. . .especially when most Korean men told me a woman weighing 110 lbs was "fat" and if she wanted to "fulfill her purpose in life," she needed to get down between 90 - 100 lbs.

BTW, Gangnam sucks. Four roads, too much traffic, subway station is over crowded, too noisy and annoying. What's why I took the 5500-2 bus back to Suji when I went into Itaewon across the Han Gang. . .it bypassed Gangnam and Mapo completely.

[nikto]

53. KPop was a western media phenomenon based on that one hit, and nothing more

You know, and I know, where the truly creative music is really happening--JAPAN, JAPAN, JAPAN!!


Techno:

Avant-Garde progressive/Punk ("Math-Rock&quot :

Melodic pop:

Hatsune Miku isn't even a real person, but her music
is vastly superior to anything by Gaga, Perry, Cyrus:
(and those lyrics!)

#1 Pop and Rock Music country IN THE WORLD.



And I no longer say, "IMO".

[yuiyoshida]

54. mochiron!

Sou desune.

[Nanjing to Seoul]

8. MAybe if they put the nine dorks from SuperJunior on stage with the nine girls from SNSD

. . .or the five dorks from Big Bang with the five girls from the Brown Eyed Girls. . .and told all of them to have a big group orgy on the streets of Apujujeong or Itaewon while blasting Psy's "Gangnam Style" and Wonder Girls's "Nobody" during their news talk-a-bore-a-thon, maybe young people will come back to watch.

Who knows? It might work.

[lark]

11. Gee, how about not being so right wing?

The majority of guests and panelist are extreme right wing to moderate right wing. I don't watch anymore,unless I know that Krugman is making a rare appearance.

[MADem]

13. I think you've hit the nail on the head, there--it's the guest line-up that drives people away.

If we wanted to see that shit, we'd turn on Faux.

[Enthusiast]

33. Yeah. Apparently they believe the only credible point of view is far right.

And that is the biggest reason they suck. They have a clear agenda. And that agenda permeates the entire media.

[MADem]

12. Cheeky, EarlG, cheeky!! nt

[kelliekat44]

14. If only this show could INFORM people ....on all sides of the political spectrum. nt

[Tsiyu]

15. Very funny ...I lol'd n/t

[SoapBox]

17. So true...

[JoeyT]

18. I'm sort of shocked they're all the way up to Gangnam Style.

Gangnam Style is only about a year old. Usually, when the mainstream wants to seem edgy, they drag out some half-remembered thing, hold it up, and say "This is popular with the kids these days, right? Right?!" in a pleading voice.

I'm looking forward to get David Gregory Can Haz Cheezburger? or All Your Base are Belong to David Gregory.

[polynomial]

19. Check this out

This chick is really cool...she has the touch... we need some more balance in our Democratic Party...

http://www.monkeylectric.com/gallery/

[titanicdave]

20. It Is About Time........

most of the Sunday talk shows feature rethuglican politicians and pundits and rethuglican thoughts and ideas......almost never anyone from the Progressive Caucus or the Black Caucus.........try some true diversity and try to limit the beltway mind set of rethuglican, rethuglican, rethuglican.........and David Gregory's Meet the Press is right up there with all of the others......we just don't watch any of them in our home any longer.....

[valerief]

21. I guess American just doesn't want to watch lying Republicans. Maybe they should

consider renaming it @meetthepress and format it like @midnight with Chris Hardwick. Now, THAT would be a hoot, especially if they got Kevin Smith on there instead of Grampy McCain.

[Enthusiast]

34. Well, that's it. Lying Republicans are on every channel. They neither rare nor interesting.

And they are less convincing by the day.

Even some of the dummies are catching on. That's why the PTB are taking these voter suppression measures.

[tavernier]

22. If they really want that demographic

they should call in Jon Stewart.

Fat chance, of course, but what a sweet daydream to envision an episode of MTP sans bullshit, spin, and ass kissing by the host.

[go west young man]

30. They get rid of their best and brightest.

Keith Olbermann and David Schuster come to mind. Phil griffin seems to be the problem as he's to keen to please the powers that be and chuck guys like Keith and David under the bus while he lets Scarborough spin his lies and make his donations. Meet the Press died with the Republican party back in the last century. Hence the reason they have the corpse of McCain constantly on with Lyndsey "never met a war he didn't like (although he would never fight in it&quot Graham.

[SDjack]

23. If NBC is considering nudie news, well, I can tell them that is not going to work either. nt

[Skittles]

24. *SNORT*

OMG

[Sky Masterson]

25. Or they can maybe not have tea party twits debate Climate change with a scientist.

Also, David Gregory could stop giving Fox News created conspiracy's credibility by spreading them.

[D23MIURG23]

26. They could always try replacing Gregory.

Personally I think the average toaster could do his job better than he does, but if NBC managed to get a host with a pulse and frontal lobes that talk to one another, that might really spice things up.

[Cha]

27. What took them?

thanks EarlG

[jtuck004]

29. Oh, that is very, very good. <G> n/t

[longship]

31. They really are "Pressing the Meat" there, EarlG.

[mehrrh]

35. MTP slide

Gregory was a poor choice from the start and he has consistently proven that to be true. His producers are at fault as well.
The dominance of conservative guests is a discouragement to viewers like me, especially when I can count on McCain and/or Graham appearing regularly.
Gregory is not above tossing soft ball questions to, even defending the position of, right wing guests, while at the same time not giving the rare Democrat time for rebuttal; he either takes up the conservative side of the discussion or silences the Democrat altogether.
There are no good Sunday shows to watch: MTP is unwatchable for reasons stated. This Week is mostly a discussion from a right-wing panel (Noonan, Will who are both has-beens in need of retirement). Bob Schieffer is a Republican, no doubt, but once in a while, he at least, will make an attempt to be fair, but I won't stay around to determine the mood of the week, and Fox is totally out of the question for me -- propaganda, lies, hyperbole, and obnoxious hosts are not appealing in the least.

[Joshua57]

39. +10000

The only people who should host this show are either dead or women.

There are no competent men working at NBC who can take over.


Oh yes, there's a few men who work there, but they either don't know how to speak slowly and reasonably to America, or they are just too young to host that NBC show.

NBC might as well give this show up to Luke Russert, son of Tim Russert, or just give it up as a bad dream, or maybe go back to the format where they actually had intelligent journalists interviewing ... wait ... wait... intelligent journalists? So few of them around.

Never can find more than one of those "intelligent journalists" in NYC or DC at the same time, but there are a few out there... most of them are women, maybe one or two men, but why are there so few women to ever host over the last 50 years who are women, none of whom ever hosted the program for more than one week?


Wait, NBC? Women hosts? Women's views? No, that's for MSNBC, not NBC. NBC is the MAN's network. There are no female anchors on NBC news, and David Gregory and Matt Lauer are prime examples of how far down the chain of accomplishment one has to go before one finds a man to anchor some show, with no real journalism needed, just be a guy.

Let's face it, "Meet the Press" used to be the best show of the NBC news empire. Now, it's just totally irrelevant, because of the internet, and the world discovering women can actually be competent, and all that. But name me one single Sunday news show on any network, one single Sunday show with a woman as a host other than Mellissa Harris-Perry, who seems to have decided to spend 5-6 weeks bringing her baby into her family, not doing the "man" stuff, like being David Gregory stupid in front of America on Sunday mornings.

[calimary]

46. Welcome to DU, mehrrh!

Good to have you with us!

Let's see - what was that address again? Maybe we ought to let 'em know DIRECTLY what we (the consumers, the viewing public they're trying to woo) want...

You can also mail a letter to: NBC News, 30 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, N.Y. 10112 - Deborah Turness, President, NBC News

[e-mail]

NBCNews.com PR at 212.664.3720, contact us by email at [e-mail]

Paul Begala once said something that's stuck with me: (paraphrasing) "100 paper letters would change the course of a newsroom."

The point being - having something written down that can be posted on the office bulletin board, copied and sent around, in black&white, that somebody took the trouble to do by hand, really gets serious notice.

I used to work in radio. Was a news lady for the morning jock at several stations, reporter/anchor at a local all-news radio station, did a little television, and worked for several radio news networks and the Associated Press - which served every kind of outlet written and spoken, all over everywhere. ONE written note that was complimentary of my on-air work literally saved my job at one station for a year - in the midst of constant firings. There used to be this service called the ARB Talkback. The Arbitron ratings people issued this at regular intervals. It was not just the ratings "diary" that random listeners were given, to fill out by hand, indicating the time and call letters of their listening on whatever given day it was. THIS one wasn't just about naming stations. It allowed you to write down comments, elaborating on your opinion of what you were listening to. There was one comment that appeared that said "entertaining morning news with calimary" (it mentioned me by my actual name). People at the station saw that and gasped. The DJs, the program director, the general manager, the sales people, chief engineer, EVERYBODY. Suddenly I was golden. Untouchable. They didn't DARE fuck with me. I suddenly had perceived and acknowledged and proven value to the station. Somebody singled ME out for praise - which meant they were probably listening FOR ME as well as for the morning show, and I was evidently not a tune-out. Until I finally left there, I had a job. And plenty of others were fired - but not me. They didn't touch me. Some of 'em later fucked with me a little but they didn't let me go. ONE mention. That A SINGLE listener wrote in, at random, uncoached, unprompted, and heck, I certainly had no idea who it was. No way to know, either. And until I saw that print-out myself I had no idea there even WAS such a thing as an ARB Talkback. Never heard of it before. But MAN I did after that!

Write them something. Suggest they replace david gregory. Tell them why - TOO DAMN MANY CONs on there! WHERE are the progressives and MORE DEMS? SICK of the non-stop GOP-only slant! We won't be watching until you start recognizing, acknowledging, and catering to OUR side. I'm gonna do it myself!

[mehrrh]

48. MTP slide

Thanks Calimary
I have been around quite a while -- I don't comment too much -- so many of you already say what I am thinking -- I do read quite a few!
The nation would be better if MTP were to better inform the public instead of being a platform for the GOP -- although I doubt they will appeal to the desired demographic of the youth. That audience is watching Stewart, Colbert, Maher and various internet sites.
It galls me, however, that the Sunday AM shows cater to the aging, middle-to-upper-class viewer without providing anything that might cause them to rethink any preconceived, conservative notions.
For a while there I was sending emails weekly to MTP, as well as to NBC, hoping to reach the powers that be -- maybe enough of us have finally caused them to re-evaluate.

[ffr]

40. Where is David Gregory's dignity!

He's tarnished the office of the MTP host.

[colsohlibgal]

41. Finally

Where "Meet The Press" has gone brings me back to something Phil Donahue said. During the push to bomb Iraq he said he was told he had to have 2 conservative guests for every liberal, and he counted as a liberal. No matter, he was fired because he dared question the rush to war - MSNBC had the pom poms out like everyone else. The lack of any follow up questions to ridiculous responses has also made this show and Gregory a joke to most of us.

Gregory was a sharp reporter at one time but he sold out.

[certainot]

42. maybe it's really a health issue- his knees are giving out

[fredamae]

43. I have an idea

Every week--the First 5 people to the media trough gets to be on the panel--and its a free style, get the Elephant on the table, free for all, -have at it--debate...

MSM can't get any worse can it?
It would be wildly Fun--and informational--
Why not--lets give it a try.

[longship]

49. What!? No Hula Hoops?

How can they appeal to their demographic without Hula Hoops?

Too bad Myron Floren isn't available.

[mdbl]

50. ah 1 anda 2 anda.....

[Initech]

51. Meet The Press is on at 6:00 AM on Sundays. That's a huge part of the problem.

I can guarantee that no one that age that's up that early, and if they are, they're not watching that program. Change the format all you want, it's the time slot that's the problem.

[nikto]

52. RT is KILLING them

Last edited Mon Mar 17, 2014, 03:44 AM - Edit history (2)

Even with the Ukraine situation, RT's news is still highly-relevant for reporting
on Corporate and Bank power/malfeasance issues in the west.

RT is siphoning viewers from MSNBC, absolutely.

I wonder how much Krystal Ball's outburst against "pro-corporate" Dems (the 1st I recall seeing on MSNBC)
was enabled, or influenced
by Abby Martin's and Thom Hartman's bluntness about similar issues on RT.

I think RT is having an effect.