Gregory seen as ‘Press’ host

NBC executives appear to have settled on David Gregory to succeed the late Tim Russert on the Sunday morning powerhouse “Meet the Press,” according to a source familiar with internal discussions.

During a period of intense deliberations in the last few weeks, the network considered various internal and external candidates, and even contemplated bringing in multiple anchors to moderate the 61-year-old program. But in recent days, executives indicated that they were going with Gregory, according to the source, who declined to be named because of the sensitive nature of the discussions.

The chief White House correspondent has long been considered one of the top contenders for the post, among the most coveted journalism jobs in Washington. It remains to be seen whether NBC will also name a permanent panel that would include others who were on the short list, such as political director Chuck Todd, chief foreign affairs correspondent Andrea Mitchell or PBS anchor Gwen Ifill.

NBC officials would not confirm Gregory’s selection, first reported Monday by the Huffington Post.

“We have nothing to announce,” said spokeswoman Allison Gollust.

But official word could come by Sunday, when interim moderator Tom Brokaw is expected to end his run on the program.

NBC Universal Chief Executive Jeff Zucker and NBC News President Steve Capus have spent months weighing how to replace Russert, an outsized presence at the network who died of a heart attack in June.

One factor that apparently influenced their decision was the concern that with few other plum jobs to offer him, Gregory could end up leaving the network. The 38-year-old, seen as one of NBC’s strongest talents, has frequently served as substitute anchor for Matt Lauer on “Today” and would be a desirable catch for the other morning shows.

Since March, he’s anchored a daily political program on MSNBC, now called “1600 Pennsylvania Avenue,” a post widely viewed as a tryout for the Sunday morning job.

The choice of Gregory would effectively hand off “Meet the Press” to a new generation, a move that could ensure the program’s stability for years to come. But tapping the young political correspondent to follow veterans such as Russert and Brokaw could also upend the Sunday morning show competition, which has been dominated by the NBC program for the last decade.

It remains to be seen whether viewers would embrace Gregory, known for engaging in often contentious debates with White House officials.

While some viewers applaud the tough questioning by the lanky 6-foot-5 reporter, dubbed “Stretch” by President Bush, others complained that he “peacocks” for the cameras.

Russert, NBC’s Washington bureau chief, defended Gregory’s approach. “David is that rare combination of very tenacious reporter and very good broadcaster,” he told the Washington Post in 2006.

Gregory has racked up substantial experience in his 13 years with NBC News. He covered the 2000 and 2004 presidential campaigns and traveled around the world with Bush. He also reported on the O.J. Simpson trials, the impeachment of President Clinton and the death of Pope John Paul II.

A Los Angeles native, he would inherit the moderator seat at a time when “Meet the Press” has been riding high. During the recently concluded November sweeps period, the show averaged 4.49 million viewers, its best performance in four years, far outstripping ABC’s “This Week,” CBS’ “Face the Nation” and “Fox News Sunday.”

With Brokaw at the helm, the program claimed major exclusives during this year’s presidential campaign, including an interview with former Secretary of State Colin Powell in which he endorsed Barack Obama. The president-elect himself is set to appear on the program Sunday.

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matea.gold@latimes.com