Is NBC’s — and many longtime “Meet the Press” fans’ — nightmare finally over? [icopyright one button toolbar]

NBC may be poised to score a home run in naming Chuck Todd to be the new host of “Meet the Press” in the wake of viewers reacting to David Gregory as host as viewers reacted to the old series “Bewitched” when it brought in a “new Darrin”: the program continued but seemed on the decline. The Politico has the news — which most assuredly sounds like a)a leak and/or b)a trial balloon:

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.

And, indeed, there are several things to be said about Chuck Todd:
1. He was a great analyst BEFORE he was hired by NBC News. He has a track record in print. He was not someone who was in broadcasting all of his political life. He had the solid background in content and analysis as editor or The Hotline.
2. He definitely has some of the j-0-Y Tim Russert had in talking politics.
3 He isn’t just the wave of the future, he is the present and will offer a solid alternative to the other two networks spot-oon hosts. CBS has been fortunate in having the man who should have replaced Walter Cronkite, Bob Schieffer on “Face the Nation.” Schieffer is a national “old school journalism” treasure. ABC’s top ranked “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” boasts a host who also loves politics and made the transition from political operative to excellent Sunday morning host.

The bottom line: Gregory, though a solid reporter, was never in the same league as Russert, Schieffer, and Stephanopoulos. He was a good, solid, aggressive reporter hosting a Sunday program.

And what next? According to The Politico, Gregory unlikely to remain at NBC:

Gregory’s next move is unknown, but he’s unlikely to remain at the network – a stunning turn for a quick-rising star with a broadcasting polish and on-air versatility that once made him a natural candidate to be a future “Today” show host. It’s unclear whether Gregory or Todd knows about the big move, likely to be in place before year’s end.

Due to all of Todd’s jobs at NBC, he is taking on the aura of “another Russert,” whether the comparison is fair or accurate or not:

Chuck, 42, now wears three hats for NBC: chief White House correspondent; host of “The Daily Rundown,” at 9 a.m. weekdays on MSNBC; and political director. The Miami native, an alumnus of George Washington University, was editor in chief of The Hotline when it was the mustest read for political insiders, and is as passionate about Miami Hurricanes college football as he is about campaign dynamics.

SOME TWEETS:

JOE GANDELMAN, Editor-In-Chief

Joe Gandelman is a former fulltime journalist who freelanced in India, Spain, Bangladesh and Cypress writing for publications such as the Christian Science Monitor and Newsweek. He also did radio reports from Madrid for NPR’s All Things Considered. He has worked on two U.S. newspapers and quit the news biz in 1990 to go into entertainment. He also has written for The Week and several online publications, did a column for Cagle Cartoons Syndicate and has appeared on CNN.

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