Lester Holt, the anchor of “NBC Nightly News,” announced on Monday his decision to step away from the program after a decade of leadership at the network’s evening broadcast.
At 65, Holt will continue his journey with NBC, shifting his focus to a full-time role on “Dateline,” where he has excelled as the principal anchor for nearly 15 years, according to an internal memo shared with team members. He mentioned that he will carry on with the evening news until the beginning of summer.
Holt took the reins of “NBC Nightly News” in 2015, succeeding Brian Williams. Recently, the show’s viewership numbers reached approximately 6.7 million, placing it behind ABC’s “World News Tonight” with David Muir, which attracted around 8.3 million viewers, as reported by Nielsen. CBS’s “Evening News,” facing its own challenges, recorded 4.5 million viewers while navigating a controversial format overhaul after parting ways with Norah O’Donnell.
An experienced broadcast journalist, Holt serves as the anchor for NBC’s weekday edition of “Nightly News,” the “Kids Edition,” and “Dateline NBC.” His historical significance is notable; he made headlines as the first Black male solo anchor for a major network evening newscast after Brian Williams’ demotion.
Born on March 8, 1959, in Marin County, California, Holt’s career has made a significant impact on American journalism. A 2018 survey found that he was recognized as the most trusted television news anchor in the country. In addition, he moderated the first presidential debate of 2016, earning both praise for fact-checking candidates’ claims and criticism for managing the pace and control of the event.
In a recent announcement for February 24, 2025, it was confirmed that Holt will depart from “NBC Nightly News” in summer 2025, marking ten years as the host. His new role will transition him into the full-time anchor position for the news magazine “Dateline” after leaving the evening broadcast.
Holt’s career commenced at a San Francisco radio station after he left California State University in 1979. This move led him to a notable 19-year tenure with CBS, initiating as a reporter for WCBS-TV in New York City. Following a stint in Los Angeles at CBS affiliate KNXT, he returned to WCBS-TV in 1983, resuming his role as a reporter while also taking up anchoring duties. By 1986, he was anchoring evenings at WBBM-TV in Chicago until he transitioned to MSNBC in 2000.
After years with MSNBC, he took a position as a substitute anchor for “NBC Nightly News” and the “Today” show. In 2007, he became the full-time weekend anchor for “NBC Nightly News,” remaining in that role until 2015. Following Brian Williams’ suspension due to inaccuracies regarding his involvement in events, Holt stepped in as the interim anchor for the weekday broadcasts in February of that year.
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