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Tag: Lester Holt

  • Lester Holt Makes History As First African-American Solo Nightly News Broadcast Anchor

    Lester Holt is the new permanent anchor of NBC Nightly News, in a move by the network last week to retain Brian Williams but in a far different capacity. Lester Holt has manned the NBC Nightly News desk since the start of Williams’s suspension for misrepresenting some of his involvement reporting on the Iraq war.

    In addition to being the new network anchor, Lester Holt made history on Monday–his first official evening at the helm–by becoming the first African-American to solely anchor a nightly news broadcast.

    “I never define my career by my race, but I think it’s important that this broadcast all the broadcasts we do on this network reflects our audience,” Lester Holt said in one of dozens of interviews he’s given since being named the new anchor. “People should be able to turn on the TV and see people that look like them or someone they know.”

    Monday night was clearly a thrill for Holt.

    “As of tonight, this program has a new name, and I am honored to say a new anchor,” he said while on the air.

    Holt feels sure he has Brian Williams’s blessing on his new role.

    “[Brian Williams and I] talked and we both acknowledged that we wished we could have talked earlier,” Holt said. “We both said, ‘Whatever’s happened here, it’s never been about us–our friendship.’ You could feel, it was this tension, like, ‘Oh my goodness, I was feeling this way.’ He’s been so gracious during what’s obviously been a difficult time–expressing his support to me privately and publicly. I just let him know that I’m happy he remains with the organization. He says he’s here to help me, whatever I need, and I deeply appreciate it.”

    Lester Holt, who is 56, has spent 30 years in broadcast journalism. He worked in San Francisco, Sacramento, L.A., Chicago, and New York prior to landing at MSNBC. From there he made his way to NBC, and the rest–as they say–is history.

    Are you happy to see Lester Holt named the permanent anchor of NBC Nightly News?

  • Ann Curry Treatment: Is Brian Williams In for the Same?

    Ann Curry was fired from her position as co-host of the Today show several years back, and is rarely seen on the network any more. Is this the same treatment Brian Williams will receive now that it’s confirmed he won’t return to NBC Nightly News, but will instead be replaced by Lester Holt on a permanent basis?

    Us Weekly reported at the time that the last days Ann Curry spent at Today were ‘torture,’ and that the staff loved to pick on her.

    Is this what Brian Williams is about to face?

    In an interview with Matt Lauer–who was long blamed for the firing of Ann Curry–that aired on Today Friday morning, Williams admitted (finally) that he lied.

    “I said things that weren’t true,” he told Lauer.

    “Looking back, it had to have been ego that made me think I had to be sharper, funnier, quicker than anybody else, [to] put myself closer to the action, having been at the action in the beginning,” he said. “I own this and I own up to this.”

    Word hasn’t emerged as to the pay cut Brian Williams no doubt had to take with this huge demotion. In a like manner, word hasn’t emerged as to whether Lester Holt will earn anywhere near what Williams’s salary was when he anchored NBC Nightly News.

    Do you suppose Ann Curry is quietly waiting in the wings, watching? Is she wondering if Brian Williams will receive the same treatment she received when she was so shamelessly demoted from her Today show anchor’s chair?

  • Lester Holt, Stefan Holt: ‘Like Father-Like Son’ Interaction on NBC

    Lester Holt is presently serving as anchor for the NBC Nightly News show while Brian Williams is on his six-month suspension from the network. On Monday, Lester had a fun broadcasting experience that not all news anchors can claim.

    You see, Lester Holt’s son, Stefan Holt, followed in his dad’s footsteps. Stefan anchors an NBC morning show in Chicago, but on Monday he anchored the evening news instead. This means he ‘threw’ the newscast to his famous dad from Chicago to New York in what could be described as a rather delightful moment for both men.

    “Hi, Dad!” Stefan said as he handed off the newscast from the Chicago studio to Lester Holt in New York.

    “I’ve got to check my watch. I thought this was the morning,” Lester said. “Good to see you, Stefan, proud of you.”

    Post by Stefan Holt.

    The interaction clearly made a huge impact on Lester Holt.

    Can you even imagine the pride Lester Holt must feel in simply knowing his son has followed in his footsteps in the world of broadcast journalism? Add to that the throw-back of the news from son to father that occurred on Monday, and Lester is certainly one proud papa.

    Do you foresee Lester Holt anchoring the NBC Nightly News on a permanent basis, or do you expect after six months away that Brian Williams will return to the network instead?

  • Savannah Guthrie Subs for Lester Holt, Who Subs for Brian Williams on ‘NBC Nightly News’

    Savannah Guthrie filled in for Lester Holt on NBC Nightly News Monday, as Holt had a ‘family emergency’ he was called away to handle. Lester Holt has been named as the substitute anchor for Brian Williams, who was suspended by the network for six months, pending an investigation into his habit of not-quite-telling the truth.

    It was speculated back when the whole Brian Williams debacle reared its ugly head that Savannah Guthrie might be the one to fill in for him at the NBC Nightly News desk, but her contract with the Today show won’t allow that. She is under contract for three more years with the morning news show.

    Lester Holt, in the meantime, has done an impressive job of filling in for Brian Williams–something he had, of course, done on several occasions prior to Williams’s suspension. In addition, Holt is keeping the NBC Nightly News ratings high enough to surpass those of all the other networks.

    Savannah Guthrie certainly has the capability to have subbed on a regular basis for Brian Williams. Do you think she would have kept those ratings high, however? CBS thought they were going to win the ratings war when they put Katie Couric behind their evening news desk, and that didn’t work out the way they’d planned.

    Do you think Savannah Guthrie could do the job–and maintain the ratings–that Lester Holt is achieving thus far in Brian Williams’s seat?

    It is uncertain thus far what Lester Holt’s family emergency is, or even if he will return to NBC Nightly News on Tuesday. It’s unlikely Savannah Guthrie will sub for him again, however, as she will have spent Tuesday on the Today show. Not only does that mean she has put in many hours since Monday at the crack of dawn, but she also has a baby at home–little Vale–awaiting that precious time with Mom.