What happens next Where's my refund? Best CD rates this month Shop and save 🤑
MONEY
Chuck Todd

Rieder: Can Chuck Todd save 'Meet the Press'?

Rem Rieder
USA TODAY
NBC Political Director Chuck Todd on "Meet the Press" in Washington, Sept. 1, 2013.

For many years NBC's Meet the Press has been a television treasure.

The longest-running show on TV launched on television in 1947 — 1947! — after debuting on radio two years earlier. The Sunday-morning staple has been an important venue for anyone interested in public affairs, not to mention newsmakers eager to establish their bona fides.

The show reached perhaps its high-water mark with Tim Russert at the helm from 1991 to 2008. A former political operative himself, Russert's engaging personality, obvious zeal for politics and often tough questioning of guests made for great viewing — and Sunday-morning domination.

But since Russert died in 2008 and NBC veteran David Gregory took over in December of that year, things have not gone well for the venerable news program. Gregory never really put his stamp on the show, never seemed all that comfortable in the gig. After years as top dog, Meet the Press finds itself an also-ran, trailing both CBS' Face the Nation and ABC's This Week in the ratings.

Now, after an exceedingly ugly and seemingly interminable endgame — Gregory is gone Starting Sept. 7 — it will be up to Chuck Todd, who has been NBC's political director and chief White House correspondent, to restore the luster of the storied show.

Todd's a great choice. He simply adores politics, and his knowledge of the subject is impressive. His enthusiasm for the subject is contagious.

And he has a very winning manner. As Todd himself has said, he's not really a TV guy. And in this case that's a good thing. The polished Gregory totally had the look of a TV anchor. The goateed Todd doesn't. There's a "talking to a guy in a bar" aspect to him that is reminiscent of Russert. The authenticity and passion can be a real draw for a show like Meet.

That said, the changing of the guard is a perfect opportunity to focus on some of the shortcomings of the Sunday-morning network talk format.

Because these shows do matter. While they have far more competition than in the past from cable, digital outlets, etc., they continue to make news. Other outlets cover the Sunday-morning pronouncements of the newsmakers, and their remarks often steer the political conversation.

One of the most tired, played-out aspects of the Sunday format, one that's way too prevalent on cable as well, is the face-off between representatives on the extremes: ardent Democrat vs. ardent Republican, Obama arch-critic vs. Obama fan, Affordable Care Act foe vs. Affordable Care Act defender, anti-abortion activist vs. abortion rights champion.

These oh-so-predictable matchups resemble not so much debates as steel cage matches. The combatants often make little pretense of listening to each other, let alone taking each other's remarks seriously. They simply throw out reheated and overheated talking points. Let's jettison the pyrotechnics in favor of nuanced discussions that actually shed light on an issue and help viewers make sense of complex questions.

Speaking of talking points, too often the Sunday shows are venues for administration officials and others with a message to get out to promulgate theirs. Nothing wrong with that, as long as the talking pointers are subjected to seriously skeptical questioning.

And one other thing: Let's mix it up. The Sunday shows seem to have a rather small guest pool. The same people are trotted out over and over again. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., is on so often it almost seems like he's part of the cast. Another frequent flier is Rep. Mike Rogers, the Michigan Republican and chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. He's the one who had the intelligence-free idea of locking up as fences journalists who publish articles based on classified information.

There's still a valuable role for the Sunday shows to play. But let's let some fresh air in, with a far more diverse group of players and a switch in emphasis from point/counterpoint to actual dialogue.

Featured Weekly Ad