By Joe Flint
Comcast Corp.'s NBC is expected to elevate Lester Holt to
permanent anchor of its "Nightly News" broadcast, while his
embattled predecessor Brian Williams will remain at the network in
an as-yet-undisclosed role, a person familiar with the matter
said.
Mr. Williams was taken off the air in February after revelations
he exaggerated a story from his days covering the war in Iraq in
2003. For the past four months, Mr. Holt has been anchoring the
broadcast in an interim capacity.
NBC may park Mr. Williams at its cable news channel MSNBC, where
he previously was an anchor. An NBC News spokeswoman declined to
comment. The moves by NBC, first reported by CNN, could be
announced as early as Thursday.
Mr. Williams's fall from the anchor perch has transfixed the
media world. While the evening newscasts no longer have the
audiences they did 25 years ago, given the rise of cable news and
online media, they remain influential and anchor positions are
considered among the most prestigious jobs in American
journalism.
Audiences for all three network news shows have risen over the
past several years, though they are still trying to find a formula
to attract younger viewers.
In Mr. Holt, NBC gets an anchor with a different style than Mr.
Williams, who parlayed his prominence into late-night appearances,
sitcoms and even an appearance as host of NBC's "Saturday Night
Live." Mr. Holt, by contrast, has kept a much lower profile,
although he hasn't been immune to poking fun at himself in bits on
"Today" and other NBC shows.
Since Mr. Holt took over on an interim basis, "Nightly News" has
held its own in the ratings against ABC's "World News Tonight" and
CBS's "Evening News," which also helped make the case to elevate
him. In addition to "Nightly News," Mr. Holt also co-anchors the
weekend edition of "Today" and anchors NBC's news magazine
"Dateline."
Mr. Williams wasn't the only figure at NBC caught up in the
turmoil. Just weeks after he was suspended for six months, NBC
replaced Patricia Fili-Krushel as chairman of the NBCUniversal News
Group with Andy Lack, who had run NBC News from 1993 to 2001.
While Ms. Fili-Krushel is a close confidante of NBCUniversal
Chief Executive Steve Burke, her leadership of the news group came
under heavy criticism over not only the handling the Williams
situation but also challenges at other shows including "Today" and
"Meet the Press."
Mr. Williams's woes began in late January when a story he had
told about being on a helicopter that came under attack in Iraq in
2003 was challenged. Mr. Williams subsequently acknowledged the
story was false and apologized, saying he had been in a trailing
helicopter.
Initially, NBC executives had hoped Mr. Williams could weather
the storm with his credibility intact. When NBC suspended him for
six months, Mr. Burke said Mr. Williams "deserves a second chance
and we're rooting for him."
The network tapped Richard Esposito, an NBC producer, to oversee
a deeper inquiry into his work, including reporting on stories such
as Hurricane Katrina and the Arab Spring.
As more questions were raised, the odds of Mr. Williams
returning as anchor grew longer. In addition, inside NBC News,
dissent grew among the rank and file over giving the star anchor
another chance.
The return of Mr. Lack was seen as a positive sign for Mr.
Williams as the two enjoyed a close relationship during his first
tenure at the network. However, the anger toward Mr. Williams's
transgressions quickly outweighed any personal sentiment Mr. Lack
had for the anchor.
Write to Joe Flint at joe.flint@wsj.com
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