NBC News Denies It Ordered Psych Consult of 'Meet the Press' Host David Gregory

[monmouth3]

NBC News is denying that it commissioned a psychological consult of Meet the Press host David Gregory that included talking to his friends and his wife, asserted in a Washington Post profile published on Monday. Rather, the examination was a brand assessment, a network spokesperson tells The Hollywood Reporter.
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"Last year Meet the Press brought in a brand consultant -- not, as reported, a psychological one -- to better understand how its anchor connects,” the network said in a statement. “This is certainly not unusual for any television program, especially one that’s driven so heavily by one person. Networks routinely commission brand assessments of their programs. And an NBC News spokesperson says it is not unusual for consultants in the course of these studies to talk to friends of the on-air talent.

NBC News previously ordered a market study of Today that resulted in a new mission statement emphasizing “substance,” "uplift" and "connection." And ABC commissioned an audience evaluation of The View that eventually resulted in the exits last year of Elisabeth Hasselbeck and Joy Behar.

Meet the Press has been mired in third place among Sunday morning competitors Face the Nation on CBS and This Week on ABC. And NBC News president Deborah Turness, who joined the division last August, is now focusing considerable attention on MTP after making Today her top priority upon entering the job. (The MTP study, however, was commissioned before Turness' arrival at NBC News.)

More at: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/nbc-news-denies-ordered-psych-697882

[joeybee12]

1. Geesh, who to believe, NBC, which lies all the time, or The Washington Post,

which lies all the time.

[spanone]

2. 'a network spokesperson tells The Hollywood Reporter' bwahahahahahaaa

why not the national enquirer?

[MADem]

3. Find out who started the rumor in the first place...

If it's NBC, they're 'pushing'--Gregory should jump first, cut his losses and see if the network will put him over in Europe to cover issues there. He speaks brilliant French and he'd probably be a good fit if they decided to open a bureau there--they could probably use one; it would be a good resource. I think we're going to be seeing a lot of international news at the forefront in the outyears; we're living in interesting times...

[GeorgeGist]

4. Grave Dance coming soon.

[gratuitous]

5. Maybe it was a proctological consultant?

Which seems more appropriate, at least to me.

[Supersedeas]

6. televison "news" that is all about branding

nothing to see here