Network officials , concerned for the show 's future , turned to Tim Russert , the network 's Washington , D.C. , bureau chief . 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 .

Question: who had the longest tenure as moderator on meet the press
Answer: Tim Russert