Brian Williams Says He's Leaving NBC News

[demmiblue]

Source: NYT

Brian Williams, the square-jawed news anchor laid low by a fabulism scandal who mounted a career comeback with a popular 11 p.m. talk show on MSNBC, announced on Tuesday that he would step down from his program after a five-year run and depart NBC News entirely at the end of the year.

The exit of Mr. Williams, whose contract is set to expire next month, comes amid a ratings decline in the cable news industry and restlessness among some of MSNBC’s star personnel. Rachel Maddow, the network’s top-rated anchor, is expected to refocus soon on projects outside her nightly prime-time show, although she has announced no formal plans.

“Following much reflection, and after 28 years with the company, I have decided to leave NBC upon the completion of my current contract in December,” Mr. Williams wrote in a statement on Tuesday. “I have been truly blessed. I have been allowed to spend almost half of my life with one company. NBC is a part of me and always will be.”

Mr. Williams revealed no immediate plans for a new on-air role. “This is the end of a chapter and the beginning of another,” he wrote. “There are many things I want to do, and I’ll pop up again somewhere.”

Read more: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/11/09/business/media/brian-williams-msnbc.html

[dem4decades]

1. Let's hope Kasie Hunt doesn't get one of the slots, she's a Republican apologist.

[appmanga]

7. Kasie Hunt has worked for CNN...

...for several months now.

[dem4decades]

22. I didn't know that, thanks. I don't watch as much news anymore. The lack of

Action by DOJ holding the masterminds of the insurrection accountable has me checked out of politics.

[Roy Rolling]

28. MSNBC is a commercial cable network

It isn’t a political network like Fox or OANN or Newsmax. It isn’t the balance to right-wing propagandists. Those stations would be left-wing propagandists if they were funded by liberals. Those stations are paid shills.

Checking out of politics at times is admirable, but this is a media issue. Hiring someone to be the opposite of a Tucker Carlson is the wrong approach. Rachel Maddow isn’t the opposite of anyone, she is a unique brand. Look for unique broadcasting talents, not political talking heads . 🙂

[Mr.Bill]

2. I think he would be good

on a network where he could let his snark and sarcasm fly a little more. Take it a little closer to satire and even comedy, yet keep the news accurate. I think he's very entertaining and intelligent at the same time. It's like he wants to go further outside the box and he really can't do that with his current platform.

[xxqqqzme]

15. I love his wit.

I think it flies over most viewer's heads. Williams and Gene Robinson are great working off each other. Enjoy them so much.

[Equomba]

17. The first thing I thought of after reading the OP and

before reading your post is that I'm going to miss his snarky comments. He really had it down to an art form, my all-around favorite on both CNN and MSNBC. Damn.

[BigmanPigman]

26. Ditto!

[NH Ethylene]

35. I recall his several appearances on The Daily Show

With his friend, Jon Stewart. And was surprised and delighted by his witty and dry humor. It will be interesting to see what he does next.

[eppur_se_muova]

40. I can see him hosting a talk show ... next host of The Tonight Show ??

Plenty of room for his snarky humor, but also a return to the somewhat more urbane atmosphere of the Carson era.

[mahina]

3. Great. Thank you Brian. I hope it goes to Joy or

Ali Velshi.

[Joinfortmill]

4. Shit. Shit. Shit. I love his show.

[SCantiGOP]

20. Agree 100%

He is my favorite. I tape his show every night and watch it before I go to bed.

I love his occasional snarky sign-off: “Goodnight and have a pleasant tomorrow…….unless you have other plans.”

[Mr. Sparkle]

5. One of the last remaining news titans with gravitas on Msnbc.

I think NBC have treated him horribly, ever since that over blown incident a few years back. If that standard was applied to Fox the whole network would be shut down. I hope he lands a better, more high profile news gig somewhere more suited to his talents, as it be a shame to lose him.

[Slammer]

6. silly

Kind of silly for him to preemptively quit rather than stick around on a short term contract to see the fallout of Racheal Maddows' show ending.

I wouldn't have been shocked if they'd portrayed him to be their biggest star.

I think his show is a strong second to Maddow in the evening lineup.

[bucolic_frolic]

9. WHAT?????

[TexasBushwhacker]

21. Rachel will be doing a weekly show and special projects

starting sometime in 2022.

[Slammer]

27. walter

Yeah and CBS said Walter Cronkite would be coming back and doing special projects after he stopped being their evening news anchor.

Still waiting on that one.

Hope it works out well for Maddow. But after she dumps her regular audience and time slot, MSNBC has less incentive to go out of their way to make things work out with her if she has a rocky start.

Yeah, she's got a contract. But MSNBC will have generous escape clauses for themselves because she's part time talent rather than full time.

[TexasBushwhacker]

39. Well, I hope it works out

Rachel is young and in good health, but her partner Susan isn't. They already had a scare when Susan got COVID-19. I can understand if Rachel wants more time off than a nightly show allows.

[LiberalFighter]

8. I won't be missing him. I switch to local news at that time.

[YoshidaYui]

10. I wonder if Lester Holt will take over

i always kinda liked his NBC newscast

[Susan Calvin]

16. I adore Lester Holt.

For no real reason except that I like to listen to him talk. Is he a good journalist as well?

[SCantiGOP]

18. The 6:30 slot of Holt

Is the highest paid and most prestigious spot. It would be a step down to take the 11 pm shot.

[LisaM]

11. Really sorry to hear this.

His is by far my favorite show on MSNBC. I watch it a lot, and it's on at a good time for people on the west coast.

He gets good guests, too. And he lets them talk.

[burrowowl]

12. Oh No!

I really like his show!

[iluvtennis]

13. I've really enjoyed Brian Williams' 11th Hour Show and will miss his great sense of humor and

one liners.

[Susan Calvin]

14. Fabulism??

I honestly don't remember the details, except that I look at him askance, but isn't that a synonym for lying?

[SCantiGOP]

19. He basically exaggerated a personal story or two

Gave the impression he was in danger on an assignment when that wasn’t quite the accurate story.

[Susan Calvin]

30. That's what I mean. Sounds like lying to me. nt

[KPN]

36. As I recall, it was actually. He said he's been in a military helicopter

while it was under fire and basically described it as a harrowing experience. A few days later, the pilot of that aircraft said that his story was false and never happened. There had been no engagement involving weapons.

I had always liked Brian Williams and was tremendously disappointed in him at the time. At the same time, I was able to forgive and forget when he popped back up on The 11th Hour — he is a gifted broadcast journalist and I will miss his show for sure. He made a dumb mistake. I can forgive him for his exaggeration or even lie — it wasn’t meant to hurt.

[Susan Calvin]

37. You're more forgiving than I am.

I find it very difficult to forgive a so-called journalist for a lie.

[KPN]

38. Yeah, I totally get that. It's a tough one for me, but

I tend to come down on the forgiveness side until the individual proves me wrong. That’s just me.

[Susan Calvin]

41. The difference here, to me, is that it's a journalist.

An adult journalist.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

23. Brian Williams, longtime anchor and @MSNBC host, to leave NBC after nearly 3 decades

Link to tweet

[Mr. Evil]

24. Well,

with Rachel shifting gears soon and Brian leaving, what a great opportunity it would be to bring back Keith Olbermann. But, I'm not holding my breath.

[Rhiannon12866]

25. Here's the video for those who missed it:

A Message From Brian Williams
https://www.democraticunderground.com/1017692603

In tonight’s “Last thing before we go” we hear a message from Brian on his career at NBC.

[BumRushDaShow]

29. I wish they would ditch SCHMUCK TOAD

and maybe consider putting Brian Williams in for MTP.

I know Williams was groomed as "the replacement for" Tom Brokaw, although obviously his "enhanced" wartime field-report fiasco pretty much tainted him, probably for life (at least in terms of limiting how high he could go in any future broadcast positions). But then I suppose TPTB prefer lackeys like Monkeyboy Gregory or Schmuck Toad to push the bothsiderisms that they both loved to promote.

[discocrisco01]

31. It is time to bring Keith

If Rachel and Brian are going, then you have to bring back Olbermann to combat the Fox News and GOP BS. Olbermann is a different animal and has much more raw approach to political commentary. I love Olbermann, but other people get turned off.

Now, he might be a bit radical for MSNBC, but Sam Seder can be a great choice. He is snarky, wonky, and hard-hitting but without Olbermann's abvasive personality.

Farron Cousins is another good choice as well. There is a lot of good choices.
Just my thoughts.

[vsrazdem]

32. Sam Seder would never last. He won't tow the corporate line.

[eTXwLA]

33. Give the Crooked Media (Pod Save America) guys their own show!

[Hortensis]

34. I like him in this role, and yes his humor. I really disliked him

as the even bigger Walter Cronkite NBC tried to puff him into, especially since his entire career in TV news took place during its horrible decline, eventually bottoming out pushing sensationalist trash like the weeks of the Michael Jackson-story.

It was good riddance to his disgraced presence before, and now I'll be sorry to see him go. And wish him well.