Tom Brokaw Picked to Fill Russert's Place Temporarily

Broadcast journalism veteran and news expert Tom Brokaw has stepped up to fill the late Tim Russert's place as moderator in Meet the Press, at least through the election season, NBC announced Sunday.

According to the New York Times, Brokaw said in a statement, "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.

"Tim made Meet the Press the center of the universe for informative and lively discussions of public affairs, particularly the exciting 2008 campaign for president, and I intend to continue that commitment to our viewers."

There has been a lot of speculation as to who would take over Meet the Press. Last Sunday, Brokaw hosted the show as a tribute to Russert, and this Sunday, Brian Williams of NBC Nightly News moderated-the New York Times said that it was announced as Meet the Press with Tim Russert, and Williams was "filling in."

"Our intention is to do the very same broadcast that we had planned before Tim Russert passed away," Williams said. "Tim was excited about doing this broadcast as usual, he had done all the preparations, so we chose to go ahead with the format and the guests we had scheduled."

Brokaw, 68, is a respected figure in the world of news journalism. He was anchor of NBC Nightly News for 21 years before he stepped down in 2004, Reuters wrote.

"To have someone of Tom's stature step up and dedicate himself to ensuring its ongoing success is not only a testament to his loyalty to Tim, but his enduring commitment to NBC News and our viewers," NBC News President Steve Capus said in a statement.

The Associated Press said that this move provides stability for NBC. Under Russert, Meet the Press dominated Sunday morning ratings, reportedly earning $60 million for NBC. "An anchor with Brokaw's stature could help prevent viewers from defecting to second-place George Stephanopoulos on ABC, for example."

Capus said that Brokaw will start on June 29. There's been no news on who will fill in after Brokaw.