David Gregory can't seem to catch a break or land a great job. After spending years at NBC, the newsman was let go late last summer after being blamed for Meet the Press's dismal Sunday morning ratings — not that the network did not try to figure out why, after years, people still were not embracing Gregory as host of the paneled show. It was rumored he and his wife — at the network's request — even met with therapists in an attempt to figure out what character flaw made him seemingly so unlikable. Once the writing was on the wall, it was rumored Gregory would likely land at CNN, but now we are hearing that that deal fell through. Salary demands could not be met, and the anchor will co-host an Election Day special on Yahoo! News with Katie Couric.
According to Page Six, Gregory met with Jeff Zucker about a spot at CNN. Zucker used to work with Gregory when he was at NBC and reportedly remains one of his biggest supporters. Unfortunately, their meeting came at a time when CNN was gearing up to lay off 10 percent of its workforce. Gregory was making close to $5 million a year at NBC, and his work ethic and experience carries a big price tag, one Zucker could not accommodate.
While Zucker wanted to add Gregory to CNN's roster, their numbers were too far apart. There was no way he could justify spending millions on Gregory after watching so many of the network's loyal employees lose their jobs. It was simply a case of bad timing, one that keeps Gregory from sitting in an anchor chair or behind a desk serving as a host and mediator on national television.
While Gregory has not landed on his feet yet, he did land a gig on Yahoo! News, where he will join Katie Couric to host a special on Election Day.
Are you missing Gregory from NBC's roster? Where do you think he should turn up next? If Meet the Press was not a good fit for him, then what will be?
Tell us your thoughts in the comments below.
