BRIAN’S A ‘CABLE GUY’ NOW
Williams to MSNBC with pay cut
NBC demoted Lyin’ Brian Williams on Thursday, pushing the disgraced news anchor into cable TV at “substantially less” pay, 30 Rock sources said.
The Peacock Network formally announced what Page Six had already reported, that Williams’ tall tales had cost him his anchor job at “Nightly News.”
In a memo to staff, NBC News chief Andy Lack said fillin “Nightly News” anchor Lester Holt will take that spot permanently while Williams seeks to repair his shattered credibility.
Lack eased Williams’ fall from grace by crafting a new spot as MSNBC’s “anchor for breaking news.”
“Brian now has the chance to earn back everyone’s trust,” Lack said. “His excellent work over 22 years at NBC News has earned him that opportunity.”
Williams, 56, admitted in February that he’d been fibbing for years about riding in a helicopter and taking enemy fire in Iraq. Several other harrowing tales spun by Williams over the years have also been scrutinized.
All those tall tales have come at a brutal price for Williams. He was forced into a new contract with a salary that’s “substantially less” than the $50 million, fiveyear deal he signed with NBC in 2014, according to a network insider.
Holt also got a new contract in this promotion, but details weren’t released. The NBC source said Lack’s move achieved at least two goals — saving Williams’ career while adding a big name to MSNBC.
“This is an inspired move by Andy Lack to help bring Brian back, and at the same time add some star power and authority to breaking news at MSNBC,” the source said.
“It also adds a new star to a network that needs to move away from its leftwing leanings. It’s a win for everybody.”
If Williams brings in viewers, he could end up with his own show again. It won’t be “Nightly News” and might even be a step away from news.
“Brian had wanted to move into entertainment before all of this happened, and there is a possibility that he could get his own interview show further down the line on MSNBC, depending on how the audience responds to him,” the source said.
“The mood at NBC is very positive, the execs are excited about it.”
Findings of an internal NBC probe of Williams haven’t been made public.
His tall tales include his story about a 2003 mission in Iraq where he claimed his Army helicopter was forced down by fire from a rocketpropelled grenade.
Williams also claimed to to see a body floating in New Orleans’ French Quarter during Hurricane Katrina and that he was confronted by hostile horsemen in Cairo’s Tahrir Square.