David P. Gelles will replace John Reiss as executive producer for NBC’s “Meet The Press” as Reiss moves into the role of executive producer for “Meet The Press Reports.”
Reiss, who launched “Meet The Press Reports” with NBC News political director Chuck Todd in 2020, will transition to executive produce the streaming series after service as executive producer on “Meet The Press” for eight years.
Gelles will join NBC News to executive produce “Meet The Press” on Sept. 1 in a move from CNN, where he recently led the creation and development of four CNN+ shows, including “Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace,” “The Newscast with Wolf Blitzer,” “The Source with Kasie Hunt” and “Jake Tapper’s Book Club.”
Launching its fifth season this fall, “Meet The Press Reports” takes a deep-dive into a pressing political for an hour each week in its six-to-eight-episode seasons. During his time at “Meet The Press,” Reiss has developed the Sunday broadcast’s reach to include “Meet The Press Daily” on MSNBC, a weekly podcast, an annual film festival and “Meet The Press Reports.”
“In three decades covering politics, it’s hard to pick a more turbulent period than the last eight years. So all I can say is, thank goodness we had John Reiss,” Todd said about Reiss. “I can’t imagine a steadier partner to have had on Sundays over during this tumultuous period of politics. John’s sixth sense for what makes a good news broadcast, and an unflappable devotion he has to good storytelling, have kept us a step ahead of our peers for six years now. John is a producer’s producer and a storyteller at heart, I can’t wait to see where he takes ‘Meet the Press Reports.’”
“I do want to say I’m forever grateful to Chuck, my partner in this journey, for making me an offer I couldn’t refuse,” Reiss said in a memo to the “Meet The Press” team. “It’s been an honor, my friend, and it’s been a privilege working with all of you. And the best part? The best part is there’s more to come.”
Gelles will return to NBC News, where he previously served as a producer for “Today” from 2006 to 2011 and produced Brian Williams’ “Rock Center” from 2011 to 2013 before joining CNN.
“David intuitively understands the core of what we do at ‘Meet the Press,’ which is not to simply put on a good show every Sunday,” Todd said about Gelles’ return to NBC News. “It’s to put on a show that gets to the crux of our political reality and unpacks its relevance on our viewers’ lives in a way that nobody else can. It’s a vision we all share here and I’m excited to have David at the helm of the Sunday broadcast as we enter a consequential midterm season and beyond.”