Tall-tale NBC anchor Brian Williams won’t be getting his anchor chair back, but will be staying at his network. Reports CNN:
NBC and Williams have come to a tentative agreement that will keep Williams at the network after his six-month suspension ends in August.
The decision, described by people with knowledge of the plan, ends months of speculation that Williams could leave NBC altogether.
Williams will not be returning to the “NBC Nightly News” anchor chair, the people said. Instead he will have a new role; the details of it are unknown to all but a very small number of executives.
“No one knows anything,” one anchor at the network complained Wednesday.
But that may change very soon: NBC could make an announcement about Williams’ future on Thursday, the people with knowledge of the plan said.
What might he be doing? It could be a number of things within the Comcast-owned company.
Inside NBC, speculation about Williams’ future has centered on MSNBC, its cable news channel, which is suffering from weak ratings. Another scenario could entail a roving reporter job, somewhat like Ann Curry’s job after she was forced off the “Today” show in 2012.
Or NBC could have a surprise up its proverbial sleeve.
In recent days, Williams’ attorney Bob Barnett has been ensconced in meetings with top NBC executives. Among the topics on the table: where, when and how Williams will express regret for the storytelling exaggerations that led to his February suspension.
Asked if Lester Holt will permanently remain at the helm of the nightly news, CNN media reporter Brian Stelter tweeted, “All signs point to yes.”
Join the conversation as a VIP Member