Radio Newbie Chuck Todd Is A Howard Stern Fan

Chuck Todd

Chuck Todd started out as a print guy and now he's a TV guy. And starting on Dec. 7, the NBC News political director and MSNBC host is adding a radio gig to his resume. Todd will be hosting "Unscripted with Chuck Todd" Saturday mornings on SiriusXM's POTUS channel, where he'll be doing longer, more personal interviews, with stars of politics and pop culture.

"I've always been a sucker for shows like that," Todd told Whispers at usnews.com. "If I could have a late-night talk show on television, I would take it in a heartbeat for the same ability, where you could have more of a conversation with somebody, rather than this sort of interview format, interview style [that's] lawler-ly like," he said of typical television Q-and-As.

Radio for this reason, Todd continued, hits the spot. "It is the most conversational medium we have, right?" he mused. And for his own radio show, Todd is looking at some of the greats for inspiration.

Todd has a sports commentator at the top of his guest list, someone he hopes to book early on. to "I'm just trying to convince Tony Kornheiser to come do it," Todd said, of the veteran ESPN analyst. "I'm really hoping to have a whole series of people that usually do interviewing on radio and TV, and get them to come on and be on the other side."

Additionally, Todd said he's a Howard Stern fan. "I think one of the best pure interviewers in radio or television is Howard Stern," he said. "There is nobody that is better, sometimes, in asking the awkward question than Howard Stern," Todd continued, adding "it would be fun" if more of Washington's politicians faced the shock jock. Todd, however, has no plans to be tawdry like Stern.