Lester Holt is moving on from his role as the anchor of "NBC Nightly News" this summer. He will continue to lead "Dateline NBC, " a prime-time news magazine show. Holt has been a key figure at NBC for the past ten years. He became the first African-American solo anchor of a weekday network nightly newscast in 2015.

Broadcast TV viewership has seen a decline in recent years, but nightly newscasts on NBC, ABC, and CBS still attract a significant audience. ABC’s “World News Tonight” with David Muir averaged 7. 6 million viewers in the fourth quarter of last year. Holt’s “Nightly News” averaged 6. 1 million viewers. CBS’s “Evening News, ” which averaged 4. 5 million viewers, recently went through its own anchor transition.

NBC has not yet announced Holt's successor. Tom Llamas, who anchors the network’s nightly streaming newscast, “Top Story, ” and frequently fills in for Holt, is a potential candidate. Holt’s new contract indicates he will focus on "Dateline NBC" full-time. This means he will be crafting new hours on subjects he cares deeply about.

Holt’s departure from "NBC Nightly News" marks a significant change for the network. It also opens up new opportunities for other anchors to step into the spotlight. The transition will allow Holt to dedicate more time to "Dateline NBC, " a show that has been a staple of NBC’s programming for years. This move could lead to more in-depth reporting and storytelling on the program.

Holt’s decision to step down from "NBC Nightly News" is a strategic move. It allows him to focus on a single program, which could lead to more impactful journalism. This change could also signal a shift in how NBC approaches its nightly news programming. The network might be looking to refresh its lineup and attract new viewers.

Lester Holt's New Chapter: From Nightly News to Dateline

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