After nine years of consistent political coverage, Chuck Todd is leaving Meet The Press.
Kirsten Welker will replace the popular host, becoming the first black journalist to anchor the show and only the second woman. Welker will not take up the position until September 17, but that hasn’t stopped NBC from proudly announcing their new main host.
Todd has been with NBC since 2007. He has secured multiple Emmy Awards for Outstanding Coverage of breaking stories, most notably for the “Miracle on the Hudson” in 2009.
In June, Todd told viewers that, “I’ve let work consume me for nearly 30 years… I can’t remember the last time I didn’t wake up before five or six am, and as I’ve watched too many friends and family let work consume them before it was too late, I promised my family I wouldn’t do that.” He went on to say that he had watched too many famous people “overstay their welcome” and that he’d rather leave “a little bit too soon than stay a tad too long.”
Todd has said that he will now spend much more time with his family. But fans shouldn’t feel too disappointed, because he has promised to continue working with the network, albeit on a less regular basis. He has indicated he wants to produce a string of documentaries and even docudramas. Todd told Jewish Insider that, “I still have a lot of ambition. I still want to be part of the solution…”
Meet The Press has been going for an incredible 76 seasons, starting way back in 1947. Todd’s final broadcast for the show will happen in September.