Brian Williams Moves to MSNBC, Lester Holt Named ‘Nightly News’ Anchor

[brooklynite]

Source: Variety

It’s official: Brian Williams is moving to MSNBC and Lester Holt will formally replace him as “NBC Nightly News” anchor, NBC News and MSNBC chairman Andrew Lack announced today.

“Lester has done outstanding work for NBC News over the last ten years, and he’s performed remarkably well over the last few months under very tough circumstances,” Lack said. “He’s an exceptional anchor who goes straight to the heart of every story and is always able to find its most direct connection to the everyday lives of our audience. In many ways, television news stands at a crossroads, and Lester is the perfect person to meet the moment.”

Lack and Steve Burke, CEO of NBCU, have decided that Williams will return to MSNBC — where he worked from 1996 to 2004 — as anchor of breaking news and special reports. He will work with Mark Lukasiewicz, SVP of Special Reports for NBCU News Group.


Read more: http://variety.com/2015/tv/news/brian-williams-nbc-news-lester-holt-1201523069/

[oldandhappy]

1. Delighted to have Lester

in that anchor chair. Yippee!!! Glad the suits decided to keep him there.

[7962]

2. Lester Holt was my dad's favorite anchor. Good for him. nt

[KT2000]

3. Lester Holt is an improvement

Williams interjected himself into the story too much - smirky etc.
Lester Holt has a calm delivery that takes the sensationalism out of the story. Now maybe I'll watch the news.

[Liberal_in_LA]

27. true

[RKP5637]

4. Lester is one of the good guys IMO! Always liked him. n/t

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

5. So, Brian landed on his feet...

... not on his butt on the sidewalk.

Ok.

[dixiegrrrrl]

10. Well, he landed in "Siberia" so to speak.

I have a feeling he will accept a "retirement package" a few months down the road.
Right now everyone is playing "one big happy family" to show that the network has handled the problem and all is fine.

[daleanime]

12. Agreed.

[24601]

24. And NBC sends the message that MSNBC is their dumping ground for a liar. n/t

[roguevalley]

6. I like Lester. Brian looked down his nose at the news people of MSNBC. My how the mighty have fallen

the nbc reporters don't consider msnbc and her personnel 'reporters' or news.

[Person 2713]

7. Lester Holt used to be for a long time on CBS Chicago .

That is where I first saw him . Interesting heritage mix

[NJCher]

21. whatever that mix is

He is one handsome dude, and looks just like what an anchorman "should" look like!

That is all just my humble opinion, however.

I am happy Lester got the job. I liked Brian Williams, but given the choice, I'll take Lester!


Cher

[yallerdawg]

8. I watch PBS News Hour.

I gave up on ABC, CBS, NBC.

Too many commercials!

[mtasselin]

9. Good Luck

A true professional and the best of luck to you Lester.

[MissDeeds]

11. So happy the anchor job went to Lester

He comes across as professional and trustworthy. I'm sorry Brian Williams is going to MSNBC; it kind of sends a message that he's not up to par to be on NBC, but he'll be okay for MSNBC. I would like to think the standards of integrity and honesty are equally high for both networks.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

13. Lester comes off as trustworthy. Brian Williams blew my trust in the run up to war.

[Purveyor]

14. Glad to hear this. Always liked Lester. eom

[Rossi]

15. Lester Holt is my kind of news reader: a non-entity.

We don't need no superstar newsreaders.

[hibbing]

16. Network "news"

I recently have been catching some while I have a house guest, because I don't watch that garbage, but the house guest does. Good gosh, it is like a minute of news and then a bunch of any kind of garbage that has been captured on video and is on youtube or that has gone viral. Along some entertainment news.

Peace

[Fred Sanders]

17. Network news is just another organ of corporate and military interests, the pretending is even getting stale.

[marble falls]

18. Really doesn't say what he'll be doing, specials? Just so long as he doesn't take TRMS's slot.

[bucolic_frolic]

19. Corporate News is Best When Strictly Factual

In my mind, and I don't watch the news every night, Brian Williams gave
both sides of stories politically so as to not alienate anyone and never really
chose sides, but never said anything either. It sounded like a blend
to me after awhile meant to appeal to the left and right of the political
spectrum, and once I noticed it I no longer believed him. He sounded
like a puppet.

Lester Holt is also non-political and doesn't say much, but to my ear
he delivers from the middle and has more authority and intelligence to his
content. He doesn't lurch from side to side with subtle bows left and right.
He's just delivering the news. It's almost neo-Cronkite style with less analysis,
in my dim mind anyway.

I think the outcome is ok. No protracted lawsuits over severance, contracts,
and a chance at recovery, though it doesn't matter. Too bad MSNBC has to be
saddled with him, but it may work out well for all sides. Smartest choice of
all options and for all concerned.

[bucolic_frolic]

20. What I'm saying is

Lester Holt has that element of being genuine, and I think that's
how he got where he is. It's an absolutely priceless commodity
in the news business. It's still corporate news but I don't perceive
him s being calculating. He doesn't have to be. Look at how easily
he's taken on this role.

[NJCher]

22. very good points

He did, indeed, take to this role easily. He has a lot of experience in front of the camera.

I agree with posters upthread about the nightly news being a house organ for military interests, but I watch it for sentimental reasons. Being a baby boomer, our whole family watched the evening news. It was the only time I could watch with my dad, as he was a hard worker and was out the door to do work in his art studio after dinner and the news. There's something special to me about being able to take that break at 6:30 p.m. and watch the nightly news.


Cher

[bucolic_frolic]

23. Who did you watch?

We always watched CBS. Never ABC, and rarely NBC. Cronkite, Louis Rukeyser,
Howard Cosell, 60 Minutes, The Odd Couple. Disney a little. I don't think I
remember much else about 1960s-70s TV except cartoons.

[NJCher]

26. Cronkite

But on occasion we would watch Chet Huntley and David Brinkley. Oh, the memories!


Cher

[Sunlei]

25. I'm happy they kept him on. Brian Williams is one of the few great Journalists the USA has left.

[wheniwasincongress]

28. Can Morning Joe

and start a new morning program with BWi. He can do serious and affable.