About Meet the Press

For 61 years, "Meet the Press” has featured headline-making interviews with world-leaders and U.S. newsmakers every Sunday morning on NBC. On June 22, 2008 NBC News announced that the network’s veteran anchor Tom Brokaw would serve as interim moderator of  Meet the Press. Brokaw took over after the untimely death of longtime moderator Tim Russert on June 13, 2008. Russert had served as moderator of  “Meet the Press” since December 8, 1991. If you have any questions or comments, you can e-mail the show.

ABOUT “MEET THE PRESS”:

"Meet the Press", the longest-running program ever on network television, premiered on NBC-TV on November 6, 1947, with James A. Farley, the former chairman of the Democratic National Committee and Franklin Roosevelt’s postmaster general as its’ first guest. The show made its initial debut two years earlier – as a radio program with Martha Rountree and Lawrence Spivak as producers. For almost as long as there has been television, there has been "Meet the Press".

Veteran NBC Newsman Tom Brokaw took over as moderator of the program on June 22, 2008, after the untimely death of Tim Russert on June 13, 2008. He stepped down in December 2004 after 21 years as anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News. He has since reported and produced numerous long-form documentaries and provided expertise and analysis during breaking news and special events coverage for the network.

Before his death at age 58, Russert had been only the ninth person ever to be a permanent host of the program. He spent 17 years at the helm, making him the longest serving moderator in the history of the show. Russert had always defined the mission of “Meet the Press” as “a thoughtful exchange of ideas, sometimes tense, even feisty, occasionally humorous, but always fair and always civilized.” 

President John F. Kennedy once called “Meet the Press” the “fifty-first state.” Since then, every man who has occupied the Oval Office has appeared on the program during his career.  On February 8, 2004, Tim Russert conducted an exclusive, hour-long interview with President George W. Bush from the Oval Office. It was that president’s first Sunday morning interview since taking office. Every vice president since Alben Barkley in 1952 has appeared on the program, as well.

“Meet the Press” is committed to interviewing all of the key players in the administration. Every Secretary of State from John Foster Dulles to Condoleezza Rice and every Secretary of Defense from Robert McNamara to Robert Gates has appeared on the program.

Foreign policy has always been a staple of “Meet the Press” interviews. Some of the world leaders interviewed on the program include Fidel Castro, Francois Mitterrand, Indira Gandhi, David Ben-Gurion, Golda Meir, Ferdinand Marcos, Jean Monnet, Mikhail Gorbachev, Anwar el-Sadat, Yitzhak Rabin, King Hussein of Jordan, Hamid Karzai, Pervez Musharraf, King Abdullah of Jordan, Tony Blair and Ghazi al-Yawar.

“Meet the Press” has always been an equal opportunity news program, with women playing a significant role right from the start. The co-creator of “Meet the Press” and the show’s first moderator was noted journalist Martha Rountree.  The first female guest was Elizabeth Bentley, a former Soviet spy, who was interviewed on September 12, 1948. 

“Meet the Press” has since interviewed First Ladies Eleanor Roosevelt, Nancy Reagan, Rosalynn Carter, Hillary Rodham Clinton and Laura Bush.  Other notable women appearing as guests over the years include Madeleine Albright, Shirley Temple Black, Shuttle Commander Eileen Collins, Shirley Chisholm, Elizabeth Dole, Marian Wright Edelman, Geraldine Ferraro, Jane Fonda, Indira Gandhi, Tipper Gore, Anita Hill, Barbara Jordan, Caroline Kennedy, Nancy Pelosi, Janet Reno, Condoleezza Rice, Phyllis Schlafly, and Gloria Steinem.

Nearly every important newsmaker in the U.S. – from politicians to religious leaders to astronauts to sports stars to comedians – has appeared on “Meet the Press”. Some of these prominent figures include Martin Luther King Jr., Robert F. Kennedy, Hubert Humphrey, Joseph McCarthy, Billy Graham, Robert Frost, Jackie Robinson, Jimmy Hoffa, John Glenn, George Wallace, Michael Jordan, Jay Leno, Bill Cosby, Barack Obama, Lance Armstrong, and Stephen Colbert.

Every Sunday morning for 61 years, millions of Americans tune in to get answers from U.S. and world leaders, and hear analysis, discussion and review of the week’s political events from noted journalists and experts.

We are proud to be the highest rated, most watched and most quoted Sunday morning public affairs program.  An average of 5 million viewers join us each week to share in a national dialogue about the important issues of our time.

If it’s Sunday, it’s “Meet the Press.”

RECENT NOTABLE INTERVIEWS:

Sen. John McCain (R-AZ):
On October 26, 2008, less than two weeks before the historic 2008 election, Republican Presidential Nominee John McCain talks about the long road behind him and the final days ahead for his campaign.

Gen. Colin Powell (Ret.):
A record-breaking 9 million viewers tune in on October 19, 2008, to see Powell, a Republican, announce his endorsement of  Democratic Presidential Nominee Barack Obama.

Treasury Sec. Henry Paulson & NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg:
“Meet the Press” devotes the entire hour on September 21, 2008, to the growing financial meltdown and crisis on Wall Street.

Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE):
A week after accepting the Democratic vice presidential nomination, Biden appears on “Meet the Press” for his first Sunday interview as V.P. pick on September 7, 2008.

Caroline Kennedy:
The co-chair of Obama’s vice presidential search committee appears exclusively on “Meet the Press” on August 24, 2008 from the site of the Democratic National Convention in Denver, Colorado.

Former VP Al Gore:
On July 20, 2008, the former vice president discussed his new plan to address global warming and the energy crisis.

Stephen Colbert:
On October 21, 2007, the comedian and Comedy Central host spoke about his run for the White House – on the South Carolina ballot.

Bill Cosby and Dr. Alvin Poussaint:
On October 14, 2007, “Meet the Press” devotes a full hour to the important discussion of race, responsibility and community involvement. 

Former President Bill Clinton:
On September 30, 2007, the former president discusses his annual Clinton Global Initiative Conference to create and implement solutions to the world’s toughest challenges, and weighs in on the current political campaign.

Admiral Mike McConnell:
The Director of National Intelligence appears in his first television interview on July 22, 2007. He talks about the possible terrorist threats to the United States.

George Tenet:
The former Director of Central Intelligence appears on the program on May 6, 2007, to discuss his new book, "At the Center of the Storm: My Years at the CIA"

Senator Barack Obama (D-IL):
The junior senator from Illinois, and the man TIME magazine dubbed "The Future of the Democratic Party" and the "man who could be the next president" appears on the program on October 22, 2006 and announces he’s considering a run for the presidency in 2008.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf:
“Meet the Press” features an interview with the Pakistani President on October 1, 2006, just days after he attended a crucial White House meeting with the president of Afghanistan to discuss efforts between the two countries in the hunt for Osama bin Laden.

Thomas Kean and Lee Hamilton:
On August 13, 2006, two days before the release of their new book, “Without Precedent: The Inside Story of the 9/11 Commission,” the co-chairs of the 9/11 Commission discuss the lessons learned from that tragic day and the safety and security of our nation since that attack.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice:
Secretary Rice makes her 18^th appearance on the program on August 6, 2006 to answer critics of the administration’s policy in the Middle East as tensions escalated between Israel and Hezbollah and the war in Iraq continues.

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-CA):
On February 26, 2006, the California governor attempts to mount a political comeback by appearing on the program, just days after his ballot initiatives are rejected by the voters in his state.

Representative John Boehner (R-OH):
The new majority leader of the House of Representatives grants his first live Sunday morning interview to “Meet the Press” on February 5, 2006.

King Abdullah II:
The King of Jordan appears on the program on November 13, 2005, just days after suicide bombers triggered explosions inside three Amman hotels, killing 57 people and injuring 96 more.

President George W. Bush:
Tim Russert conducts an exclusive, hour-long interview with President George W. Bush on “Meet the Press” from the Oval Office at the White House on February 8, 2004.  This broadcast won the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Television Political Journalism.

Laura Bush and Caroline Kennedy:

“Meet the Press” wins the prestigious Gracie Award for a special interview with two women from two of America’s most prominent political families. The December 28, 2003 interview focuses on a bipartisan spirit of patriotism, volunteerism and the holiday season.  

RECENT NOTABLE EVENTS COVERAGE:

Decision 2008:
“Meet the Press” devoted an entire hour to each of the top contenders for the White House in our “Meet the Candidates 2008” series. Interviews included Barack Obama, John McCain, Hillary Clinton, Mike Huckabee, John Edwards, Mitt Romney, Chris Dodd, Rudy Giuliani, Joe Biden, Bill Richardson, and Fred Thompson. “Meet the Press” went on the road 13 times during Decision 2008 to interview the candidates at some the most important junctures in their campaigns, including the Iowa caucuses, the New Hampshire primary and the Republican and Democratic Conventions. In the final months of the election, we regularly welcomed top strategists, supporters and policy advisers for both the McCain and Obama campaigns.

Decision 2006:
In the months leading up to the midterm elections, “Meet the Press” covered the story from every angle. For the first time ever, all four chairs of the Senatorial and House campaign committees sat together and discussed the upcoming election. Throughout the season, we featured six debates with candidates from some of the most interesting and competitive Senate races in the country. Plus, we provided an in-depth discussion on the role of the blogosphere and the internet in this election with the founder of the Daily Kos and host of the YearlyKos Convention, Markos Moulitsas, and discussed the state of the two major parties with Howard Dean, chairman of the Democratic National Committee, and Ken Mehlman, chairman of the Republican National Committee.

War in Iraq:
Since the days leading up to the war in Iraq and in the years following, "Meet the Press" has featured key interviews with top Bush Administration officials and Iraqi leaders about the on-going events in that country and the surrounding Middle-East region. As the country continues to debate U.S. involvement in the area, “Meet the Press” has continually presented a wide-variety of opinions on the war, including those of: Vice President Dick Cheney, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, Gen. Barry McCaffrey (Ret.), Rep. John Murtha (D-PA), Sen. Joe Lieberman (I/D-CT), Sen. John McCain (R-AZ), U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. John Bolton, Gen. George Casey, Gen. Bernard Trainor (Ret.), Sen. John Warner (R-VA), Gen. Peter Pace, Sen. Russ Feingold (D-WI), L. Paul Bremer, U.S. Ambassador to Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad and Gen. Anthony Zinni, USMC(Ret.)          

Rising Gas Prices:
“Meet the Press” hosted a special hour with the Secretary of Energy, the CEO of the American Petroleum Institute, financial journalists and energy analysts to discuss the continued rise in gas prices concerning many Americans.

Religion in America:
“Meet the Press” received the 2006 Wilbur Award from the Religion Communicators Council for this very special broadcast featuring a panel of experts, politicians and journalists from the three major religions in America - Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. The group discussed the various facets of Religion and Politics in American society.

Hurricane Katrina:
For weeks following Hurricane Katrina, “Meet the Press” repeatedly questioned many of the local, state and federal officials charged with the response and recovery efforts for the devastated Gulf Coast.

Death of Pope John Paul II:
A day after the Catholic leaders death, “Meet the Press” hosted church officials, historians and journalists to reflect on the life of Pope John Paul and the future of the Catholic Church.  

September 11th:
Days after the tragic terrorist attacks on New York and the Pentagon, "Meet the Press" was invited to Camp David for an hour-long, exclusive interview with Vice President Dick Cheney.  This was the first, live, television broadcast from Camp David – a truly historic Sunday morning on “Meet the Press.”

Decision 2004:
The Wall Street Journal dubbed “Meet the Press” “political TV’s best real-estate.”   Our coverage of the 2004 presidential election season proved that point. During that year’s  presidential primary season, "Meet the Press" featured in-depth interviews with every Democratic candidate for President. Some highlights included:

• Ralph Nader announced his candidacy on the program on February 22, 2004.
  
• Sen. John Kerry (D-MA.) announced the formation of his Presidential Exploratory committee on the program on December 1, 2002.
  
• In addition to Democratic nominee John Kerry, "Meet the Press" also featured interviews with all nine candidates for the Democratic nomination: former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun (D-Ill.); Gen. Wesley Clark (Ret.); former Gov. Howard Dean (D-Vt.); Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.); Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.); Sen. Bob Graham (D-FL); Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.); Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH); and the Reverend Al Sharpton of New York.

POLITICAL DEBATES ON "MEET THE PRESS":

"Meet the Press" has a proud history of presenting its viewers with the very best in political debate, especially during the election season. During the last three election cycles, “Meet the Press” has featured our award-winning “Senate Debate Series”. The series was created in 2002 and has featured debates between candidates in some of the most competitive and interesting races in the country.  All of the debates have originated from our Washington, D.C. studio. We were awarded the prestigious Walter Cronkite-U.S.C. Annenberg School Award for Excellence in Television Political Journalism for the 2002 “Senate Debate Series”. 

“Meet the Press Senate Debate Series – 2008”
Due to a busy presidential election season, the fourth installment of our series featured only one Senate debate, the key swing state of Colorado where Rep. Mark Udall (D) faced Fmr. Rep. Bob Schaffer (R).

“Meet the Press Senate Debate Series – 2006”
A combined 22.4 million viewers tuned in for the third installment of our award-winning series. This time, the debates featured:

Pennsylvania:  Sen. Rick Santorum (R) vs. State Treasurer Bob Casey (D)
Virginia: Sen. George Allen (R) vs. former Secretary of the Navy Jim Webb (D)
Ohio: Sen. Mike DeWine (R) vs. Rep. Sherrod Brown (D)
Missouri: Sen. Jim Talent (R) vs. State Auditor Claire McCaskill (D)
Minnesota: Hennepin Co. Attorney Amy Klobuchar (D) vs. Rep. Mark Kennedy (R)
Maryland: Rep. Ben Cardin (D) vs. Lt. Gov. Michael Steele (R)

"Meet the Press Senate Debate Series – 20004"
The “Senate Debate Series” returned to “Meet the Press” for the 2004 Election with the following debates:

South Dakota: Sen. Tom Daschle (D) vs.  Fmr. Rep. John Thune (R)
Oklahoma: Rep. Brad Carson (D) vs. Fmr. Rep. Tom Coburn (R)
Colorado: State Attorney General Ken Salazar (D) vs. Pete Coors (R)
South Carolina: Inez Tenenbaum (D) vs. Rep. Jim DeMint (R)

"Meet the Press Senate Debate Series – 2002"
The first "Senate Debate Series" included:

Colorado: Sen. Wayne Allard (R) vs. Tom Strickland (D)
South Carolina: Rep. Lindsey Graham (R) vs. Alex Sanders (D)
Louisiana: Sen. Mary Landrieu (D) vs. Suzanne Terrell (R)

Gore vs. Bradley
* Tim Russert moderated the first debate between Vice President Al Gore and his Democratic rival, former Senator Bill Bradley, on the set of "Meet the Press" on December 19, 1999.

INSIGHTS AND ANALYSIS:

When the news and issues of the week are in need of “Insights and Analysis,” “Meet the Press” calls on the very best political minds in the nation. Some of our most frequent Roundtable guests include:

Dan Balz, The Washington Post

David Broder, The Washington Post

David Brody, Christian Broadcasting Network

Davd Brooks, The New York Times

Ron Brownstein, National Journal

James Carville, Democratic Strategist

Charlie Cook, The Cook Report and National Journal

Maureen Dowd, The New York Times

Thomas Friedman, The New York Times

Paul Gigot, The Wall Street Journal

Doris Kearns Goodwin, Presidential Historian

John Harwood, The Wall Street Journal and CNBC

Steve Hayes, The Weekly Standard

Albert Hunt, Bloomberg News

Gwen Ifill, PBS

Mary Matalin, Republican Strategist

Jon Meacham, Newsweek

Mike Murphy, Republican Strategist

Peggy Noonan, The Wall Street Journal

Michele Norris, NPR

Robert Novak, The Chicago Sun-Times

Kate O’Beirne, National Review

Dana Priest, The Washington Post

Eugene Robinson, The Washington Post

William Safire, The New York Times

Judy Woodruff, PBS

Robin Wright, The Washington Post

Byron York, National Review

CREDITS FOR "MEET THE PRESS":

Betsy Fischer is Executive Producer.

Rebecca Samuels and Michelle Jaconi are Producers.

Chris Donovan is Associate Producer, Ellen Van de Mark is the Production Assistant and Joey Bell is the Research Assistant.

BROADCAST SCHEDULE:

“Meet the Press” airs Sundays from 9-10 a.m. ET on the NBC-TV network; 10:30-11:30 a.m. ET in New York and Washington. (Please check local station listings for airtimes in your area.) The program also re-airs at 6 p.m. ET Sundays and 2 a.m. ET Mondays on MSNBC on cable. The entire program is available as a webcast and video podcast at 1 p.m. ET Sundays on our website, mtp.msnbc.com.

MORE FROM MEET THE PRESS

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Nov. 30: First Lady Laura Bush, Afghanistan's Ambassador Said Jawad, Ted Turner Nov. 23: James Baker, Bill Daley, Sen. Joe Lieberman, political roundtable Nov. 16: Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI), Sen. Richard Shelby (R-AL), T. Boone Pickens, Tom Friedman, Katty Kay, Andrea Mitchell, Tavis Smiley Nov. 9: Valerie Jarrett, Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla., Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., political roundtable Nov. 2: Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., Fmr. Sen. Fred Thompson, R-Tenn., political roundtable Oct. 26: Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., Chuck Todd, Charlie Cook, Kelly O'Donnell Remembering Tim Russert   Images: The life of the political journalist   Slideshow: A look back at 60 years of 'Meet the Press' Find ‘Meet the Press’ in your area Meet the Press Section Front   Add Meet the Press headlines to your news reader: