Editing Meet the Press (section)

===Under Russert===
[[File:Tv nbc meet the press with tim russert logo.jpg|thumb|right|''Meet the Press'' logo used from September 10, 1995 to June 8, 2008]]
[[File:US Navy 060305-F-0193C-009 Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, U.S. Marine Corps, Gen. Peter Pace, responds to a question asked by host Tim Russert during an interview on NBC's Meet the Press.jpg|thumb|Russert interviews [[General (United States)|General]] [[Peter Pace]] in 2006.]]
Network officials, concerned for the show's future, turned to [[Tim Russert]], the network's bureau chief in Washington, D.C. He took over as moderator of ''Meet the Press'' on December 8, 1991, and remained with the program until his death on June 13, 2008, becoming the longest-serving moderator in the program's history.<ref>{{cite web|title=Fast facts about the longest-running program in TV history |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna21872087|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071121225114/http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21872087/|url-status=live|archive-date=2007-11-21|work=MSNBC.com|date=18 November 2007 }}</ref>

Under Russert, the program was expanded to one hour and became less of a televised press conference, focusing more on Russert's questions and comments, Russert also engaged in longer in-depth interviews and hosted panels of experts to discuss the topics featured in that week's broadcast. Russert signed off each edition by saying, "That's all for today. We'll be back next week. If it's Sunday, it's ''Meet the Press''."

During the [[National Football League|professional football]] season, Russert, a native of [[Buffalo, New York]], and an avid fan of the [[Buffalo Bills]],<ref>{{cite news|title=In the Hot Seat |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A37798-2004May18.html|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=May 23, 2004|access-date=May 12, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Tim Russert's Commencement Address – CUA Office of Public Affairs |url=http://publicaffairs.cua.edu/speeches/russert97.htm}}</ref> sometimes added, "Go Bills!," and occasionally would ask panelists, "How 'bout those [[Buffalo Sabres|Sabres]]?" if Buffalo's [[National Hockey League|NHL]] hockey team was doing well. Spoofs of the show featured in a recurring sketch on ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' often reflected his impromptu additions in support of the two professional sports franchises. By 2006, ''Meet the Press'' was the highest-rated program among the [[Sunday morning talk show]]s.<ref name="usatoday">{{cite news|title=Tim Russert hits ratings milestone|url=https://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2006-04-24-russert_x.htm|work=[[USA Today]]|date=April 24, 2006}}</ref>

On June 13, 2008, Russert died of a sudden [[coronary thrombosis]] (caused by a cholesterol plaque rupture).<ref>{{cite web|title=NBC's Tim Russert dead at 58 |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/life/people/2008-06-13-russert-obit_N.htm|author=Jill Lawrence|website=USA Today|date=June 14, 2008|access-date=December 14, 2008}}</ref> Former ''[[NBC Nightly News]]'' anchor [[Tom Brokaw]] hosted a special edition of ''Meet the Press'' dedicated to the life of Russert on June 15, 2008, in which Russert's chair was left empty as a tribute.<ref>{{cite web|title=NBC remembers Russert on first 'Meet the Press' since his death | url=http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/06/15/russert.sunday/index.html?eref=rss_us | website=[[CNN]].com/US|date=June 15, 2008|access-date=December 14, 2014}}</ref>