According to CNN's Brian Stelter, when Brian Williams' six month suspension for confabulation ends in August, NBC will not allow him to return to his position on "Nightly News." The highly coveted position will remain in the hands of the Lester Holt, who has been helming the program for the last four months.
Stelter said that his sources believe that Williams will be given two choices -- find a new, preferably off-camera role at the network, or leave it entirely. In either scenario, that leaves the anchor chair vacant, and according to Stelter's sources, many NBC insiders strongly support seating Holt in it permanently.
Mark Effron, who worked with Holt at MSNBC, told Stelter that the reason for this support is that Holt is "the consummate professional on the air and off the air." He added that although he hasn't spoken to Holt specifically about this subject, "what I know from Lester is that he's making the best of a great situation in that he's anchoring five nights a week a national newscast. And anybody who has worked with Lester feels his leadership, but not in an 'I'm in charge here' kind of way.'"
If NBC does decide to give Holt the reins, it will mark the first time a major network's nightly newscast would be hosted solo by an African-American.
Watch the entire segment below via CNN.
Shares