CNN: “Anchorman Brian Williams, a 28-year veteran of NBC News and MSNBC, said Tuesday that he is leaving the company at the end of this year. “This is the end of a chapter and the beginning of another,” Williams said in a statement. ‘There are many things I want to do, and I’ll pop up again somewhere.’ Williams expressed deep gratitude to NBC, saying the network “is a part of me and always will be.’
“He is about to become a free agent for the first time in decades. For the past five years, Williams has anchored ‘The 11th Hour,’ an end-of-the-day newscast and political talk program. CNN Business reported in August that his contract was expiring in the next six months and that he wanted to move off the late-night hour.
“Now he is doing it. But he added in Tuesday’s statement, ‘I ask all those who are a part of our loyal viewing audience to remain loyal. The 11th Hour will remain in good hands, produced by the best team in cable news.’ Williams’ exit from NBC has an end-of-an-era feel. He was a key player in the launch of the MSNBC news channel in 1996, manning breaking news coverage and a prime time recap of the day. Then he became one of America’s best-known newsmen during his decade at the helm of the “NBC Nightly News,” one of the most-watched news programs in the US.