Controversial veteran journalist Brian Williams will stay on at NBC News, the network is set to announce four months after it suspended him, but will not return to his position as anchor of its prime-time Nightly News program.
The 56-year-old newsman will mostly likely join cable news network MSNBC in a role focused initially on breaking news, a person familiar with the discussions told the New York Times.
Williams’ stand-in at Nightly News, Lester Holt, will take over the anchor position on a permanent basis, people privy to the matter told the Times on condition of anonymity.
Williams was suspended for six months in February after it was revealed that he had significantly embellished an account of his experiences during the Iraq War, specifically an instance in which he said the military helicopter he was traveling in came under fire from hostile forces. The former No. 1 anchor, one of America’s most trusted television voices who consistently attracted an audience of over 10 million, acknowledged his misrepresentation of facts during his Feb. 4 broadcast and tendered an apology to viewers.
NBC reportedly found 10 to 12 other instances of Williams’ exaggeration of his reporting during a subsequent investigation, people familiar with the matter said.
[NYT]
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