*NBC News may be reeling from the scandal of Brian Williams’ suspension, but that hasn’t stopped the network from congratulating the man currently sitting in the network’s “Nightly News” anchor chair, Lester Holt.
According to Brian Stelter, NBC’s daily network-wide meeting last Tuesday kicked off “with a loud round of applause for Lester Holt and ‘NBC Nightly News. ”
“Holt was coming off his best week in the nightly news ratings since being thrust into the anchor job on Feb. 9, when Brian Williams was benched because of an ethics scandal, Stelter wrote Friday (March 13) CNNMoney.com, while noting how the embattled news division is coalescing around Holt,
“NBC News President Deborah Turness announced the ratings results in the 9:30 a.m. meeting and congratulated Holt, executive producer Pat Burkey and the entire staff. It was a moment of triumph for Holt — and another sign that the troubled news division is coalescing around him.
“NBC executives may decide to rehabilitate Williams and let him return to his ‘Nightly News’ chair at the end of his six-month unpaid suspension in August. Some viewers say they’re protesting the show until Williams resumes anchoring. Their rallying cry on Facebook is ‘Bring Brian Back,’ or ‘BBB,’ ” Stelter wrote.
Despite the uproar over Williams’ suspension, Holt’s presence on the air and NBC’s current showing in the ratings has managed to overshadow any negativity.
“But those complaints have been drowned out,” Stelter mentioned, “because for over a month now, Holt has held his own and, with one exception, kept ‘NBC Nightly News’ #1. . . .”
source: Richard Prince’s “Journal-isms”
