'Meet the Press' reclaims Sunday TV crown after ABC's big week
A week after George Stephanopoulos' much-touted ratings victory over "Meet the Press" (and no, there wasn't tennis on NBC; just a weak lineup of guests), the David Gregory-moderated show is back on top.
"Meet the Press" had 2.99 million viewers last Sunday versus 2.68 million for ABC's "This Week," according to Nielsen Media Research.
However, the Stephanopoulos show edged out Gregory's program in the crucial 25- to 54-year-old viewer demographic.
On "Meet the Press," New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Newark, N.J., Mayor Cory Booker shot holes into national gun laws.
Meanwhile, Stephanopoulos interviewed everyone's favorite shouting Democrat, Howard Dean, as well as former House Speaker Newt Gingrich.
The CBS show, "Face the Nation," is still hanging in there in the ratings race. Moderator Bob Schieffer takes home another bronze medal with 2.39 million viewers. "Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace" attracted half that.
We can't help but wonder what fuels the ratings fluctuations. As we noted a couple of weeks ago, high-profile guests don't seem to make a difference. Does it just depend on what channel you had left on the TV from Saturday night?
-- Mark Milian
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Photo: "Meet the Press" moderator David Gregory. Credit: Associated Perss
Really?? Did they change the time slot to when all the infomercials are on?
Posted by: Beth Fleming | August 16, 2009 at 09:42 PM
I am not pleased with Mr. Gregory. He is very emotional, and don't we have enough of that with the whipped up outrage and histrionics of Limbaugh, Beck and even Olberman.
More than that though, I miss Mr. Russert, although he did leave a playbook. He ALWAYS had the goods on the those he questioned and held to the wall. There was no leaving the room as it were, UNLESS you responded to the posed questions! Gregory starts questions and then just drops it, and lets the schlubs meander off to some spin topic and POOF the whole point of asking the doggoned question in the first place evaporates. Such a shame, such a loss!
If he's going to do this job, maybe someone would like to take him aside and explain to him that this is one of the very rare chances a host gets to grab the sobs by the collar and make them explain or eat their words. That is what it is about. No game playing, fess up to what you've said.
Virtually no one has the forum to get them and make them, (from any side) stand up and confront their own pandering, misleading, or evolving statements.
This is important! Can't someone talk to him?
Posted by: Kay | August 17, 2009 at 04:15 AM
The key for me to a good political interview show is a clean screen, no logo, no time, and no temperture...Keep it clean, no crap please...
Posted by: Edmund Singleton | August 18, 2009 at 02:07 AM