Tom Brokaw Meets the Pressby Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger 22 Jun 2008 02:18 PM Did you hear that? The high pitch screams came from NBC bigwigs after veteran news anchor Tom Brokaw agreed to moderate NBC's "Meet the Press" through the November election to fill the vacancy created by the death of Tim Russert. Did you hear that? It was the nation breathing a collective sigh of relief. Simply put no one can replace the highly revered and dearly beloved Russert. However, if anyone can help fans deal with Russert's tragic and untimely death while still holding presidential candidates responsible for their words and actions it's Tom Brokaw. Brokaw will begin his moderating duties next week. According to NBC News President Steve Capus, Brokaw was offered the gig shortly after Russert's funeral and memorial service on Wednesday, but didn't inform network brass about his decision until last night. "I'm just thrilled that Tom has agreed to do this," Capus told reporters today. He should be. The decision gives NBC a well-known, well-respected and highly authoritative presence on a show that blows its competition (CBS News'"Face the Nation" and ABC's "This Week" with George Stephanopoulos) out of the water and reportedly earns $60 million in revenue. Brokaw was the nation's most popular news anchor when he stepped down from "Nightly News" following the 2004 election and back then he agreed to remain a member of the NBC family in a limited capacity by offering his services during elections and on other major news stories. The 68-year-old semi-retiree says he didn't have to think too long about filling in for the late Russert. In fact, Brokaw revealed today that he took the job in part as a tribute to his close friend, who died of a heart attack just 10 days ago. Brokaw says he will moderate "Meet the Press" until a new president is elected, then he will quietly retreat back to his Montana home where he has been enjoying life out of the spotlight. In the meantime, NBC News brass will have their hands full deciding on a permanent successor for the popular Sunday morning news show. Currently, NBC's David Gregory and Andrea Mitchell and MSNBC's Chris Matthews are considered the top in-house candidates. No word on who will fill Russert's job as Washington bureau chief. Related Articles: Do You Watch The Evening News? Celebrity News: The Good, The Bad, And The Ugly Katie Couric Makes History Again Katie Couric's "Magic" Weight Loss Program Learn more about Michele Cheplic  Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. Relevantpopular culture tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Community Tags Meet the Press, NBC, Tom Brokaw, Tim Russert, TV news Discuss this article
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