Luke Russert Joins ‘Meet The Press’

Luke Russert, the son of the longest-serving Meet the Press moderator, Tim Russert, is joining the public affairs program his late father hosted until his death.

The younger Russert has been a fixture on the network since his father’s death; he delivered a moving eulogy at the Kennedy Center that was broadcast on cable news.

After joining the network following his graduation from Boston College, Russert initially covered the youth vote during the 2008 election. Since that time, he has shifted to covering Congress for MSNBC and NBC News.

In a note to NBC News staff obtained by the industry blog TV Newser, newly-appointed moderator of Meet the Press Chuck Todd said Russert would continue in his role on Capitol Hill despite his move to MTP.

“We’ve talked a lot about establishing ‘Meet’ as the preeminent politics brand of NBC News and expanding our daily relevance beyond Sunday mornings. And a lot has been written about who might be involved in our future. We’re now happy to announce that Luke Russert will be an important part of our 24/7 identity and will become a regular contributor to MTP, not just on air on Sundays, but online Mondays through Saturdays as well.

“Luke has an impressive love for politics and has proven himself on the Capitol Hill beat. He’ll continue in his current role reporting for the network and MSNBC, but he’ll also branch out to take on new projects specifically for us. He’ll be a valuable part of our mission to highlight what’s working outside Washington. He’s already moving forward on a series of digital reports profiling innovative leaders in public life, the private sector, philanthropy, and anywhere else around the country where folks are ignoring partisanship and tackling problems in interesting ways.”

The New York Post’s “Page Six” column said Russert was being paid big bucks to join his father’s former stomping grounds at NBC’s Washington Bureau, allegedly raking in an extra $500,000 in salary.

NBC News has disputed the figure, but one would assume that it would not be out of the realm of possibility since now-former NBC News Special Correspondent Chelsea Clinton was earning $600,000 for her gig contributing to NBC Nightly News and the since-canceled Rock Center with Brian Williams.

What do you think of Russert’s promotion to his father’s old show? Tell us in the comments section below. We would love to hear what you think.

[Image via Flickr Creative Commons]