Lester Holt stepping down from NBC Nightly News this summer

By Jordan Pagkalinawan

NBC Nightly News anchor and managing editor Lester Holt will step away from the program this summer, he announced Monday in a memo to network staff. Holt is not leaving the network entirely, however, as he will continue hosting “Dateline,” the program’s investigative show he has anchored for nearly 15 years.

The veteran journalist announced his decision to “Nightly News” and “Dateline” staffers, writing: “A smile comes to my face when I think that with Nightly News, and Dateline, I have now anchored two of the most successful and iconic television news programs in broadcast history. As a 20-year-old radio reporter on the police beat chasing breaking news around San Francisco, I could never have imagined my career path would unfold in the way it has. What an amazing ride.”

The network has not named Holt’s successor at this time.

Holt, who joined NBC News in 2000, began hosting “Nightly News” in June 2015 and was named the principal anchor of “Dateline” in September 2011. He also led “Nightly News: Kids Edition,” an Emmy-nominated digital newscast that educates young audiences on current events.

In the last decade, Holt has been on the frontlines of the world’s biggest stories, including the COVID-19 pandemic, President Donald Trump’s rise to power, the Russia-Ukraine war and the ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine. He most recently led a “Dateline” special on the Los Angeles wildfires last month. Holt has also interviewed several world leaders one-on-one, including President Trump former President Joe Biden, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Janelle Rodriguez, NBC News’ executive vice president of programming, praised Holt in a message to staff on Monday, saying, “Quite simply, Lester is the beating heart of this news organization.”