Tom Brokaw Filling In for TIm Russert

Tim Russert's place on Meet the Press is going to be filled in by Tom Brokaw through the presidential election in November, they announced Sunday morning, reported NYTimes.com. This because of Russert's passing away on June 13.

Brokaw has hosted NBC Nightly News for the past 22 years and is now a special correspondent for NBC News. "I've been appearing on Meet the Press since the days of Watergate, when it was moderated by Lawrence E. Spivak, right through the distinguished tenure of my great friend, Tim Russert, so I feel right at home," he told NYTimes.com in a statement.

This announcement has come after a week of speculation as to the temporary or permanent replacement for Russert. Brokaw was among the people who might replace him as well as David Gregory, Andrea Mitchell, and MSNBC's Chris Matthews.

Brian Williams of NBC Nightly News had moderated the program on Sunday and identified himself as "filling in." He said of filling in to NYTimes.com, "Our intention is to do the very same broadcast that we had planned before Tim Russert passed away."