The NYObserver’s Felix Gillette takes a moment from Sunday’s Meet the Press, and ponders whether David Gregory has become NBC’s “lame duck.” Gillette observes that Gregory, NBC’s long-serving White House correspondent, may not be doing himself any favors by anchoring MSNBC’s Race for the White House if his true aspiration is to be the next moderator of Meet the Press. Gillette talks with several TV insiders and veterans about Gregory’s future with the network:
• Ken Auletta, The New Yorker: “If you think he has real talent-and boy he does, he’s a good ad-libber, he’s good on his feet-you would think that NBC would think twice about building that brand before they mix news with opinion. On the other hand, if he does not develop an opinion voice, is he vanilla as an anchor on MSNBC?”
• Andrew Tyndall, the Tyndall Report: “It’s not particularly good practice for Meet the Press, where you’re having formal interviews with newsmakers. I don’t think he ever has newsmakers on there. The function of the show is to showcase NBC’s in-house political analysts. There’s not much heavy lifting there for him to do. His current job is merely debriefing.”
• Steve Friedman, former NBC & CBS morning show exec.: “I think David Gregory views himself as a news anchor, and I think that’s where his future is. You have to choose what’s open.”
• Reese Schoenfeld, former CNN president: “I don’t think David Gregory should waste his talents becoming an anchorman. I think he’s a terrific reporter. But I don’t know if he’s anything more than a normal anchor guy.”
Of course, it was Schoenfeld who banned a young Katie Couric from CNN’s air after disapproving of her high-pitched voice.