Lester Holt to Exit ‘NBC Nightly News' After Decade Behind the Desk

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Lester Holt, the NBC News anchor famous for his skill in leading hours of live breaking news coverage without pausing, is finally ready for a break.

The NBC News veteran plans to leave his anchor position on "NBC Nightly News" in early summer, a role he has held since 2015. He will then focus full-time on anchoring NBC News' "Dateline," a position he has held since 2011.

After 10 years, 17 if you count my weekends, it's time for me to move on from my job as anchor of 'Nightly News.' It's been a tremendous privilege to work with all of you every day, keeping journalism at the heart of everything we do and our viewers at the center of our focus," Holt said in a memo to his staff on Monday. "But before we start wrapping things up, I have one more announcement. I'm happy to say that I'll be continuing as anchor of 'Dateline NBC,' but this time in a full-time role, where I'll be expanding my role on the broadcast and creating 'Dateline' hours on topics that matter to me. I'm excited to work even more closely with my incredibly talented colleagues at Dateline as the show continues to grow and attract new viewers in new places.

Hoda Kotb has recently stepped down from her position at NBC News' "Today" on MSNBC's daytime lineup.

NBC News isn't the only news organization saying goodbye to experienced journalists. Neil Cavuto has recently left Fox News Channel, a position he held since 1996, and Chris Wallace parted ways with CNN after a relatively short time.

Holt has been a steady influence at NBC News, where his calm and composed attitude helped the news division recover from a tumultuous situation. He took over "Nightly" responsibilities after his predecessor, Brian Williams, was let go following an investigation into the accuracy of claims Williams made about a reporting trip to Iraq.

And we've got to be there to make the bread rise.

Holt discussed mental health awareness on Sesame Street and covered a rare antelope birth at the Oregon Zoo during some broadcasts. He also experimented with the "Nightly" closing segment, offering a more thoughtful and nuanced approach to sign-offs during significant national moments. In a broadcast just before the 2020 presidential election, he said, "democracy is messy, but we've got to let it work," specifically emphasizing the importance of this for "our children, who you know are watching us." During his time at the helm, "Nightly" sought to cover news from various regions, including Florida and California, rather than just focusing on New York and Washington, D.C.

Lester's steady and thoughtful leadership has helped 'Nightly News' remain a trusted and top news source for millions of Americans. He has led the network through some of the country's most difficult and trying times over the past decade, including the early days of the pandemic, when his voice offered comfort to many viewers each night. As Janelle Rodriguez, NBC News executive vice president of evening news, noted, 'He's taken viewers to the frontlines of every major story and skillfully got answers from world leaders on critical issues.'

is being considered as a potential candidate for the position.

Holt has been with NBCUniversal for a quarter of a century, joining MSNBC in the year 2000, then taking on roles as a substitute anchor for "NBC Nightly News" and a weekend anchor at "Today." Before that, he spent almost 20 years working for TV stations owned by CBS.

He will be stepping down from "Nightly" as the evening news format seems to be undergoing changes. CBS News has restructured its longtime "CBS Evening News" to focus less on daily breaking news. At the same time, ABC's "World News Tonight," which consistently leads the three main broadcast networks in total viewership, is closely tied to its anchor, David Muir.

We're fortunate to have our jobs. To cram 23 minutes of news into 30 minutes, excluding commercials, is a remarkable achievement, and it's a testament to the talented individuals we work with daily who help distill complex issues into concise information. I sometimes think about how short our attention spans are these days, and it's actually a benefit for our evening news show. Thirty minutes is a good amount of time, and we're able to move on to the next topic after that.

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