NBC News chose Mark Whitaker on Monday to be its next Washington bureau chief, succeeding the late Tim Russert.

Mark Whitaker, a former editor of Newsweek from 1998 to 2006, has been a senior vice president of NBC News since last year. He will take on the new role without delay, according to an e-mail statement the network released yesterday. Furthermore, the new bureau chief will assume management responsibility for “Meet the Press”, the much-admired Sunday morning political talk show that Russert moderated, plus the network’s election and political coverage, as reported by the Washington Post.

Mark Whitaker, 50, will also be seen on NBC as an on-air political analyst, taking charge of another assignment once belonging to Tim Russert. The notice comes as a result of the network’s reorganization of some of its Washington-centered actions following Russert’s death.

Tim Russert collapsed and died on June 13, at the age of 58, after suffering a heart attack. He had been the anchor of the talk show since 1991 and had converted it into the most viewed Sunday morning interview program in the United States.

Mark Whitaker will maintain his position as a senior vice president of NBC News and will give account to Steve Capus, president of the division.

As reported by the New York Times, Mr. Whitaker said in a telephone interview: “I’m honored to get the chance. We’re in the middle of a historic election, the economy is going through its worst time in a generation and there are big changes on the world scene.”