NBC Touts Brian Williams’ First Decade At ‘Nightly’ As He Tussles With ABC’s David Muir
NBC News took some time Tuesday to call attention to Brian Williams’ first decade on air as managing editor and anchor of “NBC Nightly News”: The NBCU unit is releasing a series of archive clips highlighting major moments from the past decade through “Nightly’s” social media accounts as wellas a photo gallery showcasing several of the signature stories the newsman has covered in his tenure. Even “Today” got involving, airing a segment this morning celebrating his time behind the anchor desk.
Williams’ newscast is the most watched among the three broadcast evening entries, but in recent months ABC has made strides in attracting the demographic most coveted by advertisers in news programs, people between 25 and 54. What’s more, David Muir has gained notice during his short time as anchor of ABC’s “World News Tonight.” At 40, Muir is decidedly younger than his rivals, a fact upon which ABC may be banking as it sends Muir on to Facebook to anchor a new one-minute update each weekday.
In his next decade on air, Williams may face more challenges than he did in the first. He will likely be pressed to travel more frequently to news hot spots, as he recently did when he anchored from Ferguson, MO. And his presence may be required even more as NBC News vies with rivals both old and new for dominance in the digital and social realms.
No matter what hurdles lie ahead, no one should count Williams out. He scored a major coup in May when he secured an exclusive interview with Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who leaked sensitive documents to the public.
Related stories
David Muir To Anchor Daily Facebook Newscast For ABC News
Brian Williams To Anchor 'Nightly News' Live From Ferguson, Missouri
News Ratings: Mid-Term Elections Lift NBC, Fox News Channel to Strong Weeks
Get more from Variety and Variety411: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter
