Could more changes be coming to NBC’s “Meet the Press” following the arrival of David P. Gelles? There might be.
In their weekly newsletter, “Confider,” which Barrett News Media obtained, The Daily Beast reports that Gelles’ first order of business, multiple sources said, is deciding what to do about host Chuck Todd.
This year, “Meet the Press” is down 21 percent in total viewership and 24 percent in the key advertising demographic compared to 2021. Despite signing a two-year extension, many at NBC are baffled by how long he’s stayed atop the struggling program.
Nonetheless, a replacement could be coming soon. NBC White House correspondent Kristen Welker is being put in a position to replace Todd, multiple insiders told The Daily Beast.
Additionally, Welker is expected to take on more hosting duties as the midterm elections approach.
“After being the EP of the Sunday broadcast for eight years, at the end of his contract, John Reiss was looking for a different opportunity within the MTP franchise,” a NBC News spokesperson emailed Confider.
“Kristen Welker is the co-host of Meet the Press NOW on NBC News NOW and has been since the show launched. And she and Chuck have been leading NBC News NOW’s election specials all year long.”
It will be interesting to see if NBC decides to make the switch soon. Todd has been the host of “Meet the Press” since 2014, when he took over for David Gregory, who was ultimately pushed out.
Eduardo Razo is the Assistant Content Editor for BNM, which includes writing daily news stories on the news media industry. He can be found on Twitter @eddierazo_ or you can reach him by email at eddie1991razo@gmail.com.
