In a recent development, NBC News has officially announced that Tom Llamas will be taking over the prestigious role of anchor for “Nightly News” from Lester Holt, starting this summer. This decision, though expected by many, marks a significant shift in the lineup. Tom Llamas, aged 45, has been a prominent figure as Holt’s primary backup on the nightly broadcast ever since he made the transition from ABC to NBC back in 2021. Notably, he has also been a key anchor for NBC News Now’s streaming service, where he hosts the popular one-hour program “Top Story.”
Lester Holt, who has been at the helm of “Nightly News” for the past decade, recently announced his decision to step down from this role. However, Holt will remain with the network, transitioning to work on “Dateline NBC”. Janelle Rodriguez, Executive Vice President of Programming at NBC News, praised Llamas for embodying the essential qualities of journalistic excellence, compelling storytelling, and unwavering integrity, which have long defined NBC `Nightly News’.
With this change, David Muir of ABC’s “World News Tonight” now holds the title of the longest-serving anchor among the evening news programs, solidifying his position as the ratings leader in the industry. Meanwhile, CBS News made its own shift earlier this year by replacing Norah O’Donnell with the duo of John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois.
Despite the evolving landscape of news consumption since the era of Walter Cronkite, the evening newscasts of ABC, CBS, and NBC collectively continue to draw over 10 million viewers every night. The anchors of these programs are widely recognized as the faces of their respective news divisions.
An interesting aspect of Tom Llamas’ appointment is that he will be the first anchor to balance his responsibilities on the traditional broadcast platform with his duties on the digital streaming service. Following the conclusion of “Nightly News” each weeknight, viewers can catch Llamas on “Top Story” as he delves into the day’s top news stories.
David Bauder, an expert in media coverage, covers these developments in his work for AP. For more insights from Bauder, you can follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social.
