JOSSIP REPORTS — With Keith Olbermann back in New York and supposedly making up with Chris Matthews, and Joe Scarborough insisting everyone at the network is going to have Thanksgiving together, everything should be hunky-dorey at NBC News, yes?
No.
Joe Scarborough is still taking shots at Olbermann on the air (excellent video here). Oh, and then there's this little matter of Chuck Todd, David Gregory, and Brian Williams — and Meet The Press. It's a clusterfuck, and these are the details:
Inside 30 Rock, it's political director Chuck Todd who seems to have the biggest chance of landing in the MTP moderator chair. Or he did. Unfortunately, NBC News management — read: Steve Capus, Phil Griffin, and their cronies — hasn't been too impressed with Todd; "disappointment" is one word that's been used to describe their outlook. Todd has been anchoring a share of MSNBC's RNC programming hours this week to give him some on-air experience to develop his broadcasting skills, which would be crucial if he took over MTP after the election when Tom Brokaw wraps up. Except it looks like Todd needs "years, not months," according to a well-placed informant, to develop the on-camera comfort needed to run MTP. That he hasn't been asking the type of "adversarial questions" during his MSNBC hours that MTP needs is also working against him; those around him are confused why he's not challenging guests more. So what's a guy to do? We're told Todd will begin working with a voice and talent coach soon, spending an hour a day on MSNBC between now and January to improve.
Which leaves … David Gregory, the disliked White House correspondent who's been gunning for MTP since Tim Russert died. But if Gregory is going to get the job, he's going to have to get through Brian Williams.
That's because the NBC Nightly News anchor is a staunch defender of Todd, and can't stand Gregory. If you watch recent coverage, you'll see Williams praising Todd's political analysis. On the other side of the spectrum, Williams has made zero effort to engage Gregory. In fact, we're told they haven't spoken in weeks, and Williams is cockblocking Gregory from even appearing on the Nightly News these days. Gregory has been relegated to MSNBC-only status.
Not that Gregory is getting much sympathy from NBC News staffers.
Last week, he threw a fit in Denver while rehearsing for his own Race To The White House on the first night of DNC coverage. He was on the main MSNBC set practicing for his show, "getting a feel" for the outdoor platform and atmosphere, we're told. Except Gregory still had 75 minutes to go before his show; Chris Matthews' Hardball, however, started in just 15 minutes. Which meant a floor director had to tell Gregory it was time for him to wrap up his practice session as Matthews was headed over to the anchor desk. We're told Gregory "scowled, ripped off the microphone and earpiece, and stormed off." Don't believe us? Ask the 15 technical staffers who witnessed it, or the 20 people in the crowd who saw the whole thing go down.
All of this is leaving a very stank taste in the mouth of 30 Rock brass.
And ya know what it's also doing? Elevating a one Andrea Mitchell — perhaps the least equipped to anchor a show — to the MTP fast track.
Earlier: NBC Staffers' Pick for Meet The Press? Not Chuck Todd. Or David Gregory
Editorial Director
There was no better descriptor to use in that sentence about Brian Williams but cockblocking. Excellent choice.
The MSNBC jossip is why I come to this site everyday. Keep up the great work.
Mitchell "least equipped to anchor a show"?? What about "The Mitchell Report"? What about "Summer Sunday U.S.A."?
Oh…right.
They are so pathetic. If they want to find true talent, they need to cast a wider net and not fish in the current cesspool.
Andrea Mitchell??????????? Pleeeeeeeeeze.
MTP is still a "network" show, is it not? That would rule out, in a sane world, those hacks who frequently appear on MSNBC wearing DNC cheerleader outfits — i.e., Gregory and Mitchell.
Brian Williams is the only NBC property (including poor, confused Joe Scarborough) that I can stand for more than five minutesl.
The only one who deserves an on-air pie in the face more than Olbermann himself is Gregory.
Why don't they give MTP to Gwen Ifell?
What?
She's black?
Never mind then.
I had an idea: When is Brian Williams' contract set to expire? When it gets close to renewal time, I think Roger Ailes or some other bigwig at Fox News could pay him a visit and make him an absolute sweetheart deal. By that time, he may be so disgusted with Olbermann's antics that he would jump at the chance. And then all of the lefty bloggers' heads would explode. Icky.
Jake Tapper. Everyone who saw him fill in for Stephanopolis believes he should be Russert's replacement.
Don't kid yourself. If Fox were to offer Olbermann a slot, he'd jump at the chance. They're all whores who will shill for the highest bidder.
mslewis, bullseye: it should be Gwen Ifill, tho I've been hoping to see her take Jim Lehrer's seat if/when he (ever?) retires. The woman is brilliant AND thoroughly likeable, but the myopic wankers at 30 Rock can't see outside their little pigpen.
They're all too partisan. NBC is killing their own brand. Brokaw isn't Brokaw any more. MTP has become unwatchable.
George Stephanopoulis is head and shoulders above this crowd as is Ted Koppel and almost everyone at PBS. NBC needs to bring in someone that at least can fake impartial or MTP is toast.
Russert must be rolling over watching this crap…
Gwen Ifill would be a brilliant choice for MTP. Actually I was trolling blogs looking for explanations about Andrea Mitchell. I took a hiatus from the pundits for a couple years and now she seems absolutely senile. I'm actually embarrassed for her. If she can no longer hold her own she needs to move out of the way. Those balloons really threw her! Maybe she can switch places with Gwen Ifil. In fact, maybe they should all rotate thru the News Hour and learn a little decorum.
Judy Woodruff would be a great asset on meet the press