'Meet the Press' at 60: By the Numbers
Former senator Bob Dole speaks with NBC staffers and interns at the 60th anniversary celebration of "Meet the Press."
(Charles Dharapak - AP)
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"Meet the Press" celebrated its 60th birthday last night at the soon-to-open Newseum, with a glorious spread of food, open bar and all the back-slapping you'd expect for the top-rated Sunday gabfest. Some 600 VIPs -- Alan Greenspan, John Kerry, Tiki Barber, Willard Scott -- filed through a wedding-style receiving line to pay homage to NBC News prez Steve Capus, NBC Universal prez Jeff Zucker and MTP producer Betsy Fischer -- and, of course, Tim Russert, the show's longest-running host.
Television debut: Nov. 6, 1947.
Shows: 3,004.
Viewers per week: 4.5 million (we estimate 4.4 million still in pajamas).
Moderators: 9 (Martha Rountree, Lawrence Spivak, Ned Brooks, Bill Monroe, Marvin Kalb, Roger Mudd, Chris Wallace, Garrick Utley and Russert, who's helmed the show since 1991).
Most appearances by a guest: 63, Bob Dole. "Yeah," he joked to us last night, "and look at where it got me."
Second-most appearances by a guest: 50, John McCain.
Longest span between first and most recent appearance: 45 years, Ted Kennedy (1962- 2007).
Most appearances by a reporter: 396, The Post's David Broder, who first appeared in 1963.
U.S. presidents interviewed: 9 (everyone from JFK on).
Heads of state interviewed: 80.
Russert's dream guests: 2 (The pope and Bruce Springsteen).
