'He'll never read a teleprompter for NBC again': Brian Williams name yanked from Nightly News as it's claimed he's unlikely to come back after six month suspension
- Brian Williams career at NBC is effectively over after bosses suspended him, according to industry experts
- Six months without pay means Williams has effectively been fined $5 million, punishment his bosses have described as 'appropriate'
- 'They're daring him to resign,' said television news analyst Andrew Tyndall
- Weekend Nightly News anchor Lester Holt has replaced Williams in the short-term but the network might consider Savannah Guthrie longer term
Brian Williams career at NBC is effectively over after bosses handed him a six month suspension, according to industry experts
As anchor Lester Holt stepped in for Brian Williams on Wednesday night, it wasn't just the embattled NBC Nightly News host who was missing--his name was yanked from the show's opening title credit.
Suddenly Nightly News with Brian Williams is simply Nightly News.
What's more, while the show's website continued on Wednesday to bear Williams' moniker, Page Six reports the NBC veteran's name will be scrubbed from there, too.
Meanwhile, Williams' career at NBC is effectively over after bosses handed him a six month suspension according to industry experts who predict that the former star anchor is unlikely to read a teleprompter for the network ever again.
The beleaguered anchor was suspended without pay on Tuesday amid a firestorm of criticism over false claims that he was in a helicopter that was shot at during the Iraq War in 2003.
Lester Holt directly addressed the controversy in Wednesday night's broadcast.
He first reported statements made by NBC chiefs regarding Williams before assuring the audience, 'We will work every night to be worthy of your trust.'
In his statement, NBC Stephen Burke chief executive wrote:
'By his actions, Brian has jeopardized the trust millions of Americans place in NBC News. His actions are inexcusable and this suspension is severe and appropriate.'
'I know Brian loves his country, NBC News, and his colleagues. He deserves a second chance and we are rooting for him. Brian has shared his deep remorse with me and he is committed to winning back everyone’s trust.'
'We will work every night to be worthy of your trust': Williams' temporary replacement Lester Holt directly addressed the controversy surrounding the anchor on Wednesday night's broadcast
Something missing? The banner graphic for NBC Nightly News was wiped of Brian Willams' name starting Wednesday
But industry experts are predicting that it is unlikely Williams, 55, will ever return to his position as anchor and managing editor of the flagship Nightly News show.
Williams’ credibility - and by extension that of NBC News - had been under fire for 11 days until his bosses handed out their swift and brutal punishment.
Six months without pay means Williams has effectively been fined $5 million. The network's former star man hasn't commented publicly about his punishment which suggests that he isn't thrilled by his bosses' decision.
'He’s not going to read a teleprompter at NBC ever again,' television news analyst Andrew Tyndall told The Daily Beast.
Williams' bosses NBC Chief Executive Stephen Burke and Deborah Turness, the president of NBC's news division, issued a joint statement on Tuesday night revealing that the anchor had been suspended
'I’ve never heard of this kind of public announcement saying, "We’re not paying you." Whatever has gone on behind closed doors, they’re daring him to resign.'
The severity of the punishment has lead some to speculate that the report being carried out into Williams had already uncovered enough damning evidence to make his position untenable.
An NBC News veteran who spoke to The Daily Beast on condition of anonymity said they were ‘flabbergasted’ by the punishment.
'What NBC just did, by handing down this kind of six-month sentence, really prevents Brian from redeeming himself in any kind of expedient way. Don’t we agree that when you make a mistake, you correct it immediately, in the world we live in now? What is Brian going to do for the next six months?'
Another option is that NBC simply do away with the Nightly News altogether, argues Michael Wolff in The Hollywood Reporter.
‘The affair exposes the entire make-believe aspects of Williams' job,’ wrote Wolff, who believes that the major networks can no longer compete with other sources of news.
Weekend Nightly News anchor Lester Holt, right, who had stepped in this week is set to continue to substitute for Williams
Replacements? The network may consider Today’s Savannah Guthrie and NBC Sports anchor Josh Elliott as possible placements for Williams
‘Network news, as has been evident for a generation, but never as starkly clear as now, is never going to be the network news again. It's finished. Finally. Take a breath.’
In a note sent to NBC staff, Deborah Turness, the president of NBC's news division, had described Williams' puffed-up retellings of events from 2003 as 'wrong and completely inappropriate'.
Weekend Nightly News anchor Lester Holt, who had stepped in for Williams this week is set to ‘continue to substitute Anchor the NBC Nightly News,’ said Turness.
Longer term the network may consider on-camera talent, such as Today’s Savannah Guthrie and NBC Sports anchor Josh Elliott, as possible placements for Williams.
The scandal began on January 30, when Williams repeated an often-told anecdote about being on board a Chinook helicopter during the 2003 Iraq invasion.
He said that he was on board a chopper which got hit by a rocket-propelled grenade and was forced to land. In fact, he was on a completely different helicopter.
After being called out on the tall tale by veterans who objected to his glory-grabbing, Williams issued an on-air apology - and said he had been in a 'following' helicopter.
This detail too came under scrutiny, and it emerged his chopper had been part of a different mission and was around half an hour behind.
Boots on the ground: Williams, pictured above covering Iraq, was pulled up by veterans on an overblown story of being aboard a helicopter hit by an RPG - which it emerged he was not on at all
His plight worsened after other grand, personal stories - from Hurricane Katrina, Israel's 2006 war with Hezbollah, and even a childhood tale of being mugged - were also called into question.
In her note, Turness wrote: 'We have decided today to suspend Brian Williams as Managing Editor and Anchor of NBC Nightly News for six months.
'The suspension will be without pay and is effective immediately.'
'While on Nightly News on Friday, January 30, 2015, Brian misrepresented events which occurred while he was covering the Iraq War in 2003.
'It then became clear that on other occasions Brian had done the same while telling that story in other venues. This was wrong and completely inappropriate for someone in Brian’s position.
'In addition, we have concerns about comments that occurred outside NBC News while Brian was talking about his experiences in the field.'
Williams had just celebrated 10 years as Nightly News anchor last December, when he was also reported to have signed a $50 million contract for an additional five years.
An advertising campaign – voiced by Michael Douglas – that touted his credibility as a reliable news source and featured clips of Williams in Iraq and during Hurricane Katrina was broadcast at the time.
‘It’s a thing that you build slowly, over time. It can happen during big moments. More often, it’s the day-to-day things,’ said Douglas. ‘And what you build, if you work hard enough, if you respect it, is a powerful thing called trust.’
- DRUDGE EXCLUSIVE: SAVANNAH IN WAITING AT NBC NIGHTLY NEWS
- NBC's fact-checking of Brian Williams will be finished 'sooner rather than later' - Feb. 10, 2015
- NBC News Execs Divided on Brian Williams's Fate | National Review Online
- David Gregory's 'Meet the Press' Eviction Exposed in WashingtonianTakedown - The Daily Beast
- Michael Wolff Offers Solution to the Brian Williams Problem: End 'Nightly News' - The Hollywood Reporter
- NBC scrubbing Brian Williams’ name off ‘Nightly News’ broadcast, website | Page Six
- NBC Drops the Hammer on Brian Williams; Six-Month Suspension Without Pay - The Daily Beast
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