Anchor Williams Set for Sept. 22 MSNBC Debut

Brian Williams, the former star anchor at NBC’s Nightly News, will start his reassignment at MSNBC Sept. 22. Before stepping up to the broadcast network stage, Williams spent several years on the air at MSNBC after making his bones as a local TV anchor and reporter.

In February, NBC suspended Williams for six months after he was deemed to have fabricated his involvement related to a military helicopter attack in Iraq, with Lester Holt taking on Nightly News anchoring duties.

Andy Lack was brought in to stabilize NBC News in March, and handle the Williams situation. Patricia Fili-Krushel, former chairman of the news group, switched to a different role in the company. She said earlier this week that she was departing NBCUniversal.

Williams, who was initially slated to debut on MSNBC in mid-August, will cover breaking news and handle special reports at the cable net. In June, he said on the Today show, “I let down my NBC colleagues and our viewers, and I’m determined to earn back their trust.”

Williams will surely cover Pope Francis’ historic visit to the U.S.

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.