Brian Williams Says He’s Leaving NBC News At End Of Year

[Don CT]

That seems like a stretch. That Williams is a free agent doesn’t mean CNN will plug him in over in-house options.

If they need ratings they will.

 

[TheBigA]

If they need ratings they will.

His ratings at MSNBC have been less than stellar.

 

[Don CT]

His ratings at MSNBC have been less than stellar.

He was also on at 11 pm.

 

[TheBigA]

He was also on at 11 pm.

He was losing in head-to-head comparisons with Gutfeld on Fox News by almost 2 to 1.

 

[Don CT]

He was losing in head-to-head comparisons with Gutfeld on Fox News by almost 2 to 1.

With Fox News not doing any hard news coverage in prime time can you really compare the ratings? Might as well just lump Fox News in with what MTV is showing.

 

[TheBigA]

With Fox News not doing any hard news coverage in prime time can you really compare the ratings? Might as well just lump Fox News in with what MTV is showing.

Within MSNBC, the audience drops almost in half from Lawrence O'Donnel at 10 to Brian Williams at 11.

If your goal is to improve CNN's ratings, you won't do it with Brian Williams.

 

[AbrahamJSimpson]

Mr. Williams is free to have a high opinion of his value. The numbers don’t bear out that he is automatically deserving of a higher profile slot. If his agent can convince someone otherwise, more power to them.

 

[Don CT]

Within MSNBC, the audience drops almost in half from Lawrence O'Donnel at 10 to Brian Williams at 11.

If your goal is to improve CNN's ratings, you won't do it with Brian Williams.

People watch primetime cable news to be spoon fed opinions. Williams is still presenting news, so maybe he won't be successful.

 

[TheBigA]

People watch primetime cable news to be spoon fed opinions. Williams is still presenting news, so maybe he won't be successful.

If you want a point of comparison, the new Shepard Smith show on CNBC is trying to do straight news, and it's getting killed in the ratings. Now perhaps the new owners at CNN want to go that route as they deal with various internal scandals. But we know, based on comparative numbers, that doing straight news won't deliver competitive ratings.

 

[Don CT]

If you want a point of comparison, the new Shepard Smith show on CNBC is trying to do straight news, and it's getting killed in the ratings. Now perhaps the new owners at CNN want to go that route as they deal with various internal scandals. But we know, based on comparative numbers, that doing straight news won't deliver competitive ratings.

Being on CNBC is the worst thing for Smith, they are the business channel during the day and Shark Tank at night. He was doomed from the start there.

 

[TheBigA]

Being on CNBC is the worst thing for Smith, they are the business channel during the day and Shark Tank at night. He was doomed from the start there.

My take is that NBC was just trying to give him a resting spot until an opening occurred. So he may be Brian's replacement.

Then CNBC can go back to more Shark Tank.

 

[Don CT]

My take is that NBC was just trying to give him a resting spot until an opening occurred. So he may be Brian's replacement.

Then CNBC can go back to more Shark Tank.

That's a risk as most people forgot he has been back on TV for a year.

 

[TheBigA]

That's a risk as most people forgot he has been back on TV for a year.

Maybe viewers will forget who he once worked for. That can't be seen as a positive.

 

[Greg Goodfellow]

Brian Williams, 9 pm on CNN?

I was thinking the same thing, but others have produced compelling info that might negate this. Who knows?

 

[Greg Goodfellow]

They are running Michael Smerconish right now, with the show called "CNN Tonight." I'm sure you all knew that, but I've not watched CNN for a while, nor have I watched FOX. "News Nation" has been my jam lately.

 

[QED]

They make some pretty stupid choices. Having Maddow introduce Gretta van Susteren was a terrible blunder that didn't last long. Why she got the job IDK but when you aren't right for a target audience Mgt can't pull a fast one and be successful.

 

[Kelly A]

For their sake, I hope not.

Once a journalist compromises his/her integrity, that should be career-ending. He should have been fired by NBC rather than being transferred to cable (even a cable network not exactly known for objectivity).

By using that benchmark, why is Tucker Carlson, Maria Bartaromo, or half of the FOX News air staff still employed?

His job was to be accurate, and he failed. He shouldn't be hired as a weekend anchor in Glendive MT, let alone by another network.

And you feel the same about FOX News, OANN, and Newsmax reporting The Big Lie? Which do you see as worse; embellishing while reporting on a war story, or reporting to the American public that the 2020 election was fraudulent?

Just trying to gauge the severity.

 

[KeithE4]

By using that benchmark, why is Tucker Carlson, Maria Bartaromo, or half of the FOX News air staff still employed?

Tucker Carlson is not a journalist. Neither is Sean Hannity. I'm not familiar with Maria Bartaromo, as I haven't watched Fox Noise in many years.

And you feel the same about FOX News, OANN, and Newsmax reporting The Big Lie? Which do you see as worse; embellishing while reporting on a war story, or reporting to the American public that the 2020 election was fraudulent?

Just trying to gauge the severity.

None of those networks even pretend to be accurate. None are worth any more of my time than CNN or BSNBC. I don't watch any of them, and none of them have one ounce of credibility. When it comes to national/international news (what little there is of the latter), I stick to print media online, where I can fact-check in another tab in my browser. BTW, the Associated Press is your friend.

 

[Kelly A]

Tucker Carlson is not a journalist. Neither is Sean Hannity. I'm not familiar with Maria Bartaromo, as I haven't watched Fox Noise in many years.

They claim to be, however your definition may vary.

None of those networks even pretend to be accurate. None are worth any more of my time than CNN or BSNBC. I don't watch any of them, and none of them have one ounce of credibility.

And while you're at it, stay off my lawn!

When it comes to national/international news (what little there is of the latter), I stick to print media online, where I can fact-check in another tab in my browser.

Let me guess, that includes Facebook?

BTW, the Associated Press is your friend.

So you're saying AP never gets stories wrong?

 

[TheBigA]

Now we get word that PBS reporter and anchor Yamiche Alcindor is leaving for NBC News:

Yamiche Alcindor to leave ‘NewsHour’ for NBC News, will retain ‘Washington Week’ role

Yamiche Alcindor, an award-winning White House correspondent for "PBS NewsHour," was hired as a Washington correspondent for NBC News.

current.org

She has been a regular on MSNBC and the 11th Hour. In fact I think she was on just last night.

There seems to be a lot of interplay between NBC and PBS. Might we see Brian Williams at PBS at some point?