There really isn’t a lot happening this week as far as fun gossip goes, so you’ll just have to let me talk about NBC News and how I don’t understand what the hell they’re doing over there. Last week, word came down that David Gregory was being pushed out of the Meet the Press anchor chair after six years – Gregory took over after Tim Russert passed away in 2008. Russert made Meet the Press into must-watch political debate and interviews every Sunday. But David Gregory’s tenure has been marked by sagging (if not plummeting) ratings and a pronounced decline in caché. No one watches it anymore. No one cares. Gregory rarely gets to hard-to-get interview and any kind of commentary is blah.

There’s been gossip about Gregory’s ousting for months now, and I guess NBC was lining up his replacement all this time. The new host will be… Chuck Todd. That’s a pretty good choice. Chuck and David came up through the ranks in a similar way – both were White House correspondents and respected political reporters, although I tend to think of Chuck Todd as more wonky (he loves stats) and more likeable (he seems to genuinely have a sense of humor). Still, I guess NBC News didn’t want to think outside of the “middle-aged white man” box for political commentary (although Andrea Mitchell did host MTP this past Sunday). But here’s an interesting wrinkle – apparently, NBC News mishandled Gregory’s exit, just like they mishandled Ann Curry’s exit.

Ousted “Meet the Press” anchor David Gregory was paid $4 million to leave NBC and signed a contract not to speak out against the network, sources told Page Six. Gregory, 43, who moderated the show for six years, was unceremoniously dumped from the political program on Thursday after dismal ratings and months of speculation about his departure. He has been replaced by NBC White House correspondent Chuck Todd.

A source said Gregory’s contract extended into next year, so NBC had to pay him for the rest of the term, plus an extra fee to ensure his silence. In return, he was asked to sign a nondisparagement clause, which explains — despite the drama behind the scenes — his saccharine message on Twitter to announce his departure.

“I leave NBC as I came — humbled and grateful. I love journalism, and serving as moderator of MTP was the highest honor there is,” he tweeted, adding, “I have great respect for my colleagues at NBC News and wish them all well. To the viewers, I say thank you.”

But quietly, sources say, Gregory is “angry and humiliated” at the way he was treated by NBC suits who let him twist in the wind through months of painful speculation before finally pulling the plug. Page Six reported that Gregory confronted NBC brass last week after continuous rumors he would be replaced by Todd.

NBC has tapped Andrea Mitchell to host this week’s show, denying Gregory a chance to say farewell — or anything else — on air. Todd takes over on Sept. 7. NBC declined to comment.
Gregory’s future may be at CNN. Page Six has reported that the network was developing a pilot for him, while others speculate he could land on “Crossfire” with Newt Gingrich, which could use an authoritative moderator.

Meanwhile, Ann Curry, another NBC colleague who suffered an awkward departure, lent Gregory support via Twitter. Quoting the Dalai Lama, she wrote: “@DavidGregory Hoping “in place of this turmoil come confidence,integrity+dignity, heroic qualities all human beings…aspire to.’-HHDL”

[From Page Six]

You know sh-t just got real when Ann Curry is all, “Whoa, man, only the Dalai Lama can help you.” And this incident really is comparable to the Ann Curry/Today debacle. And I’m saying that as someone who thinks Ann Curry was an absolutely terrible morning news anchor. I don’t think there’s any contradiction there – you can think Curry was a terrible anchor AND that she was mistreated by Today and NBC News. You can believe that David Gregory has the on-screen charisma of a dead ferret AND that he was mistreated by NBC News. Still, $4 million is quite a good way to walk away from a job.

Photos courtesy of Getty, WENN.