Lester Holt will likely be a permanent fixture at NBC's “Nightly News,” taking over the anchor chair from suspended Brian Williams.
In February, Williams was hit with a six-month suspension after it was revealed that he'd exaggerated anecdotes from his time reporting on the Iraq War in 2003.
But a return to his former position after the suspension appears more and more unlikely as NBC executives and Williams’ attorney are increasingly focused on either a new position for the anchorman or completely
removing him from the network altogether, CNN Money reported.
Both options would leave Holt anchoring the program unless NBC decides to appoint a new host, but "calling that scenario exceedingly unlikely is an understatement," CNN said.
Holt's been busy over the last four months as the anchor of the most-watched nightly news broadcast in the United States.
“He's the consummate professional on the air and off the air,” Mark Efron, who ran MSNBC’s daytime news coverage when Holt was the anchor, told CNN. “Anybody who has worked with Lester feels his leadership, but not in an 'I'm in charge here' kind of way.”
Holt has reportedly told friends that while initially the job was full of chaos and ambiguity, it has turned into a “new normal."
“Lester has oil tanker-sized reserves of good will,” a longtime NBC staffer told CNN. “Many people are rooting for him.”
Since Holt took over, the show has been in a battle with competitor
ABC’s “World News Tonight” with David Muir, according to Variety, as the two shows move back and forth between better ratings.
NBC staffers told CNN that Holt and his producers have no knowledge about the Williams talks or the discussions about his own future at the network but, nonetheless, NBC executives have given no indications that Williams will return.
NBC News chairman Andy Lack and NBC News president Deborah Turness told correspondents at a recent internal town hall that a resolution on the situation is coming soon, two attendees told CNN.
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