BRACE YOURSELF!!- Politico: Chuck Todd Will PROBABLY Be The Next 'MEET THE PRESS' Host [View all]

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Beltway oracle Mike Allen comes bearing news on this Monday morning. According to Politico's most famous (and best-connected) reporter, NBC's White House correspondent Chuck Todd has been tapped as the likely replacement for the much-maligned David Gregory on "Meet the Press."

SIREN: Chuck Todd, a political obsessive and rabid sports fan, is the likely successor to David Gregory as moderator of “Meet the Press,” with the change expected to be announced in coming weeks, according to top political sources. The move is an effort by NBC News President Deborah Turness to restore passion and insider cred to a network treasure that has been adrift since the death in 2008 of the irreplaceable Tim Russert. Although Todd is not a classic television performer guaranteed to wow focus groups, his NBC bosses have been impressed by his love of the game, which brings with it authenticity, sources, and a loyal following among newsmakers and political junkies.

http://www.politico.com/playbook/

Allen crammed several other "Meet"-related nuggets in Monday's edition of "Politico Playbook," his daily newsletter of name-drops and Washington gossip. And there was some hedging. After reporting that Gregory will likely move on from NBC, Allen noted that his sources have cautioned that "nothing is definite or decided." Nevertheless, it's been widely believed that Gregory has been on thin ice as "Meet the Press," once the Sunday morning standard-bearer, has suffered in the ratings.


The New York Post reported last week that Gregory met with CNN president Jeff Zucker recently. If Allen's scoop does come to fruition, it will mean that fellow Politico scribe Dylan Byers gets to take a victory lap. Byers was already basking in the development on Monday, tweeting a link to a piece he authored at the beginning of the year.




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