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Veteran News Anchor Lester Holt Shifts Gears to Dateline
Lester Holt, the familiar face of NBC Nightly News, is stepping away from the anchor desk after a decade. At 66, Holt isn’t retiring, but returning to his journalistic roots with a full-time role on Dateline.
He expressed a desire to flex different journalistic muscles, focusing on long-form reporting. “We’re still doing journalism,” Holt explained, “but these are hour and two-hour shows…Some of the stories you’ll see me doing will be months in the making.”
Holt’s move to Dateline allows him the flexibility he craves. “I want to be able to tell a producer, ‘Yes, I’ll be there for that interview next week,’ because I won’t be jumping,” he shared, hinting at the demanding schedule of a nightly news anchor.
Holt admitted he never envisioned himself in the anchor chair indefinitely. Having taken the reins from Brian Williams ten years ago, he felt it was time for a change, though he emphasized he still has “gas in the tank.”
Holt initially announced his departure in February, expressing excitement about expanding his role at Dateline and focusing on topics he’s passionate about. He lauded the program’s growth and the opportunity to collaborate more closely with the Dateline team.
Stepping into Holt’s shoes at NBC Nightly News is Tom Llamas. Llamas acknowledged the honor and responsibility of the position, promising to uphold the program’s high standards of journalistic integrity. He praised Holt as a “great man and one of the most trusted broadcasters of our time,” pledging to be as dedicated to viewers and the truth as his predecessor.