Tag: Chuck

Chuck Todd is taking his podcast and going home.

The former “Meet the Press” moderator circulated a memo to colleagues at NBC News informing them that he would be departing 30 Rock, according to several reports. Todd confirmed his departure.

His last day at NBC News was Friday.

“There’s never a perfect time to leave a place that’s been a professional home for so long, but I’m pretty excited about a few new projects that are on the cusp of going from ‘pie in the sky’ to ‘near reality,’ Todd told NBC News staffers in a memo Friday.

“So I’m grateful for the chance to get a jump start on my next chapter during this important moment.”

Todd confirmed his departure on Friday. When The Post sought comment from Todd via his NBC work email, the automatic message read: “Friday, January 31st was my final day at NBC.”

According to the memo, Todd told colleagues that he intends to take his podcast with him.

The “Chuck Toddcast” is “coming with me,” according to Todd, who urged colleagues to “stay tuned for an announcement about its new home soon.”

Earlier this month, Semafor reported that Todd was plotting his exit from the Peacock Network as his contract was due to expire later this year.

Todd, who was once a key cog in NBC’s political coverage, has reportedly been busy lately taking up meetings with several media organizations to plan his next steps, according to Semafor.

The Post has sought comment from NBC News.

The 52-year-old Florida native joined NBC in 2007 and quickly became a fixture in the network’s national political coverage.

In 2014, he was named moderator of “Meet the Press,” the long-running Sunday morning political talk show, replacing David Gregory.

Gregory, who hosted Meet the Press from 2008 to 2014, struggled to maintain the show’s dominance after Tim Russert’s passing, as declining ratings and criticism of his interview style led to his eventual replacement by Todd.

In addition to his “Meet the Press” gig, Todd hosted a weekday political program “MTP Daily” on sister cable network MSNBC and contributed to NBC’s political website.

In 2023, Todd announced he would step down as host of “Meet the Press” to focus on long-form projects. He was replaced by the current moderator, Kristen Welker.

Speculation about Todd’s future at the network ramped up last year when he was among the voices who criticized NBC News management for its decision to bring Ronna McDaniel, the former Republican National Committee chair, on board as a paid commentator.

In March 2024, NBC News hired McDaniel as a political contributor.

The move sparked significant internal backlash, with big-name NBC and MSNBC hosts such as “Morning Joe” co-hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski, Rachel Maddow and Niccole Wallace expressing strong objections due to McDaniel’s past support of Donald Trump’s claims regarding the 2020 election.

Facing mounting pressure, NBC reversed its decision and parted ways with McDaniel just days after her hiring.

Todd’s departure comes during a period of flux at parent company Comcast, which like other media giants is grappling with a rapidly changing landscape that has seen a mass migration of viewers away from linear television and toward digital and streaming.

Comcast, the $129 billion Philadelphia-based telecoms giant, is making major changes by spinning off several of its cable networks, including USA Network, CNBC, MSNBC, E!, Syfy, Oxygen and Golf Channel into a separate company to give them more financial independence and flexibility.

The company is also raising prices on Xfinity services, with most customers seeing increases on their bills starting in January, as part of its strategy to adapt to shifting consumer habits and industry competition.

Shares of Comcast were up by 1.25% as of 11 a.m. Eastern Time on Friday. The company’s stock was selling on Nasdaq at $33.66 a share.