Lester Holt Leaving as Anchor of NBC Nightly News
Lester Holt will leave as anchor of NBC Nightly News at the beginning of the summer.
Holt spent a decade behind the desk.
“After 10 years, 17 if you include my years on the weekends, the time has come for me to step away from my role as anchor of ‘Nightly News.’ It has truly been the honor of a lifetime to work with each of you every day, keeping journalism as our true north and our viewers at the center of everything we do,” Holt told staffers in a memo, according to Variety. “But before we play the walk off music, I have another announcement. I’m excited to report I will be continuing as anchor of ‘Dateline NBC,’ but for the first time in a full time capacity whereby I will be expanding my footprint on the broadcast and crafting ‘Dateline ‘hours on subjects I care deeply about. I am thrilled to be able to work more closely with my enormously talented friends at Dateline as the broadcast continues to grow and attract new viewers in new places.”
From NBC News:
Holt was named anchor of “Nightly News” in June 2015 after steering weekend editions of the news broadcast for eight years and co-anchoring “Weekend TODAY” for 12 years. He has served as principal anchor of “Dateline” since September 2011.“A smile comes to my face when I think that with Nightly News, and Dateline, I have now anchored two of the most successful and iconic television news programs in broadcast history,” Holt wrote in a note Monday to “Nightly” and “Dateline” staffers. “As a 20-year-old radio reporter on the police beat chasing breaking news around San Francisco, I could never have imagined my career path would unfold in the way it has. What an amazing ride.”
NBC News has lost quite a few staple anchors lately. Chuck Todd left Meet the Press in January. Andrea Mitchell will leave MSNBC soon. Hoda Kotb exited Today.
[Featured image via YouTube]
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