As traditional media, particularly cable, struggles to stay relevant and keep at least some viewers engaged, NBC is seeing another major switch up, with Chuck Todd stepping down as the host of NBC’s famous “Meet the Press.” Todd, who originally announced he would be stepping down in June, is to be replaced by Kristen Welker, who previously served as NBC’s White House Correspondent.
Mr. Todd told the show’s audience that he would be stepping down during the Sunday, September 10th broadcast of the weekly interview show. He told fans he would be stepping down, thanked them for their support, and introduced the next show host.
Making the initial announcement and, somewhat surprisingly, making the announcement clear from the start rather than dithering, he said, “The last nine years as moderator of the longest running show on television has been the honor of my professional life, and as I prepare to pass the baton to the next custodian, it is a privilege to pass it to someone who needs no introduction.”
That is when Mr. Todd introduced Ms. Welker, who probably did need an introduction because NBC’s White House team rarely gets the press coverage FNC’s Peter Doocy does. In any case, Ms. Welker thanked Mr. Todd for the introduction and pledged to take the role seriously.
“I am ready, Chuck, and I just want to say I am also so thankful and grateful to you for this moment for entrusting me with this monumental, important role. I take this responsibility so seriously. I’m ready because you have helped me get ready, Chuck,” she said.
Continuing, she explained how Mr. Todd helped prepare her for the role and help her along in her career, saying, “You are someone who invests in the people that you care about and you have invested in me and I am so eternally grateful for that. I’ve said it before, I think it bears repeating. You brought me to D.C., you taught me just about everything I know about politics.”
Next, Mr. Todd asked Ms. Welker what she hopes and aims to bring to “Meet the Press” each weekend now that it is her show. Responding, she told him she told him that she aims to keep being a reporter, saying, “Well I want to approach this as a reporter. That’s who I am. That’s who I’ve always been.“
Then, she gave a lengthy recitation of her career and claimed that it would help her ask “tough questions” on air, saying, “I’ve covered three administrations now, the Obama administration, the Trump administration, the Biden administration. I’ve traveled all over world with all of these presidents, and I really want to bring that to the show every Sunday to make sure that we are giving our viewers the information that they need and now my beat, by the way, is all of Washington, the campaign trail and frankly, the world, and I want to be asking those tough questions and I want to be making you proud, I want to be building on the legacy of this show.“
Watch Mr. Todd here:
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video
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