NBC Hired 'Psychological Consultant' to Assess 'Meet the Press' Host

Weekly Standard ^ | April 21, 2014 | Daniel Halper

[1Old Pro]

NBC has been so alarmed at Meet the Press's decline, the network hired a "psychological consultant" to assess the host, David Gregory. The Washington Post reports:

Last year, the network undertook an unusual assessment of the 43-year-old journalist, commissioning a psychological consultant to interview his friends and even his wife. The idea, according to a network spokeswoman, Meghan Pianta, was “to get perspective and insight from people who know him best.”

[onedoug]

Meet the Press, Meet the Liars.

[Obadiah]

Nailed it.

[Buckeye McFrog]

He must have had some sort of behind-the-scenes breakdown that caused co-workers or his bosses to become concerned.

Though none of us like Liberal talking heads, I would not make light of it.

[DManA]

These shows don’t even need “moderators”. It’s just a stream of hack politicians making their pre-written statements.

Senator, what color is the sky?

That is a very good question. Immigration policy in the United States for the past 40 years has been bla bla bla bla bla...............

[dagogo redux]

As a shrink for the past quarter century, this has always been my favorite cartoon - and a fairly accurate one sometimes.

Thanks for posting this gem.

[SkyPilot]

This guy is as unstable as the San Andreas fault.

[WayneS]

Separated at birth?

[Brad from Tennessee]

Before they hated each other, Don Imus telephoned David Gregory—in Europe covering some event—on the air. When Gregory answered the phone it was obvious he was intoxicated. Imus terminated the call fairly quickly.

[kevkrom]

As usual, Twitte provides the best one-liner:

@redsteeze: How bad does it have to be for @davidgregory when you’re getting a psych test and your office is next to the woman with tampon earrings.

[Cyber Liberty]

They’re missing the target. Gregory is just being Gregory, he’s been a known commodity for decades.

They need to assess the minds of the people who define the programming of MTP.

[Texas Eagle]

Ha haaaaa!!!

[Texas Eagle]

Last year, the network undertook an unusual assessment of the 43-year-old journalist, commissioning a psychological consultant to interview his friends and even his wife.

What? Gregory is hetero?

[mrsmel]

Maybe it’s something to do with the fact that he’s a hypocritical self-appointed leftist would-be tyrant who thinks he shouldn’t be prosecuted for the very things for which he wants regular citizens prosecuted, like possessing-and showing publicly on national media-weapons and ammo which are illegal to own in the “People’s Democratic Socialist Capitol”.

[LRoggy]

If anyone wants a good laugh look at the Comments section on the Huff Post . . . they say Gregory is a tool of the Koch Brothers and that the reason the show’s ratings have taken a hit is because the show is too conservative!!

[fhayek]

A local radio station used to simulcast Meet the Press. I was listening, and he was 'moderating' a debate between a Democrat and a Republican congressmen. I can't remember which ones, or what issue they were debating - it doesn't really matter. What I do remember is Gregory's behavior. The Democrat blathered on and on with his talking points with no interruption from Gregory. The republican had practically every syllable challenged by the host. I think that most reasonable viewers, even if they have a political view sympathetic to Gregory's, would be turned off by his style.

[Rapscallion]

He created a lasting impression of partisanship in his scorn for President Bush, Vice President Cheney and others. He acted like a smart-guy asking “still-beat-your-wife questions. He lost me and I never paid attention to him after that. I still think of him as a wise guy.

[Amagi]

No psychologist needed.
Fire David Gregory.
He's ignorant and obnoxious with little skill as a broadcaster.
Moreover, if NBC really wants an audience, they need to be honest and fair in their reportage, but that's not going to happen as it means they would necessarily have to distance themselves from their Marxist agenda.

[hinckley buzzard]

I don’t like Dick Gregory, for the reasons you mentioned. However, he is doing exactly what they want him to do. The network bosses are the ones who need a psychiatrist if they don’t understand why his ratings are tanking. The low information voter (who everyone panders to these daze) isn’t going to watch Meet the Press.

This is a really funny comment. Too bad it wasn't meant to be.