NBC SHAKEN – Lester Holt’s Exit Confirmed Just Days After Joy Reid’s Firing: Is This the Quiet Collapse of a Media Dynasty?

Instead, he expressed excitement about ‘continuing as anchor of “Dateline NBC” for the first time ‘in a full time capacity’.

NBC’s Lester Holt is out at Nightly News, the flagship show he has hosted for nearly a decade

Pictured, an excerpt from the Monday memo that Holt sent to his Nightly News and Dateline staff

One resignation. One termination. Two of NBC’s most recognizable faces—gone. But behind the corporate statements and polished memos lies a brewing storm no executive dares name out loud.

For nearly a decade, Lester Holt’s voice was America’s evening routine—a calm, measured presence that anchored a nation through war, scandal, elections, and chaos. But this week, that voice announced its departure.

In a brief memo to staff, Holt confirmed he’s stepping away from NBC Nightly News—the very chair he inherited after the Brian Williams implosion in 2015.

What the memo didn’t say—but what media insiders are already whispering—is that this wasn’t just a “career transition.” It was a signal.

And it came just days after NBC’s sister network MSNBC abruptly canceled The ReidOut, firing host Joy Reid in a move that drew both applause and fury. The message was clear: the face of progressive cable news is shifting. And some faces are being erased.

The Studio Freeze No One Saw Coming

At 65, Lester Holt had survived what few anchors could: scandals (not his own), corporate reshuffles, collapsing ratings, and the Trump-era gauntlet.

But even he couldn’t escape the quiet, creeping force now dismantling legacy media from within: irrelevance.

NBC’s official line is clean. Holt, they say, is stepping down “to focus fully on Dateline,” the long-running Friday night crime anthology.

“Lester will continue to lead Nightly until early summer,” said NBC EVP Janelle Rodriguez. “Then he’ll devote his energy to the rapidly expanding powerhouse that is Dateline.”

It sounded like a promotion.

It didn’t feel like one.

Because if Dateline was truly a “powerhouse”, why would NBC still be bleeding viewers at double-digit rates?

Holt, 65, announced he is stepping down in a memo sent to staffers Monday, ten years after he stepped in to replace longtime fixture Brian Williams on a full-time basis

 

What the Ratings Don’t Lie About

The truth is this: Nightly News is losing viewers.

According to the latest Nielsen numbers:

Down 17% in total viewership since last summer
Down 27% in the 25–54 age group, the demo advertisers value most
Outpaced weekly by ABC World News Tonight

Even Dateline, now positioned as Holt’s “new focus,” dropped from 4.1 million viewers two years ago to just 2.3 million today.

These aren’t just dips. They’re fractures in the foundation of a legacy media empire that once defined the news.

Holt’s Memo: Calm Words, Unspoken Chaos

In the internal email that NBC later reshared publicly, Holt used familiar, polished language:

“This has been an amazing ride. I’m thrilled to devote more time to stories I care deeply about.”

But the lack of farewell tour, of on-air tribute, of public fanfare—it all felt off.

Especially when Joy Reid was unceremoniously cut from MSNBC just days earlier.

Especially when NBC still hasn’t named Holt’s successor. And especially when Tom Llamas, a cheaper, younger anchor, is waiting in the wings—reportedly groomed for years.

Is This a ‘Quiet Coup’?

To some in the industry, this week marks more than just two exits. It marks a realignment—a quiet house-cleaning at NBC, triggered not just by ratings, but by identity politics, corporate caution, and an industry afraid of its own shadow.

Joy Reid’s firing was loud. Holt’s resignation was whisper-quiet. Together, they spell a shift that insiders say reflects something far more strategic:

“NBC wants control,” said a senior producer off-record. “And control starts with voices that don’t stir the waters too much.”

Reid stirred. Holt didn’t.

And yet—they’re both gone.

The Successor Nobody Asked For?

The likely heir to Holt’s chair? Tom Llamas, a polished but less familiar name to nightly viewers, who once hosted weekends at World News Tonight on ABC.

What Llamas offers NBC:

A clean slate
A millennial-adjacent appeal
A $2.5 million salary—far less than Holt’s (reportedly in the $8–10M range)

What he doesn’t offer:

Gravitas
Nationwide recognition
A proven track record under nightly pressure

Still, for NBC, the math makes sense. But will viewers stay for the swap?

The Ghost of Brian Williams Still Haunts the Chair

This isn’t the first time NBC Nightly News has faced a credibility crisis.

In 2015, Lester Holt inherited the desk after Brian Williams was exposed for lying about his wartime reporting. That scandal—swift, embarrassing, and career-ending—shook the network’s trust with its audience.

And yet, Holt restored it.

His reward? A slow fade-out, no fanfare, and a network trying to pivot while pretending not to.

NBC’s Tightrope: Between Reform and Ruin

The media landscape in 2025 is brutal. Legacy outlets are bleeding relevance. Younger audiences scroll past evening news segments. Advertisers chase engagement, not gravitas.

NBC, CBS, CNN, and even Fox are all chasing the same formula: rebrand or die.

The problem? Rebranding means losing the very anchors that made viewers stay.

“People don’t tune in for graphics or theme music,” said one former CNN executive. “They tune in for trust. And right now, NBC is trading trust for cost-efficiency.”

Joy Reid’s Exit: A Warning or a Statement?

While Holt’s exit is subtle, Reid’s termination was deafening.

Her show, The ReidOut, was MSNBC’s most unapologetically progressive program. And it drew fire from both sides—praised for candor, criticized for partisanship.

“Joy Reid was a lightning rod,” one former MSNBC editor said. “But she brought eyes. And in 2025, eyes matter.”

Her departure, announced with corporate detachment, came without a successor named. Just silence.

The same kind Holt is walking into.

The Final Question: What Happens Next?

NBC has a decision to make.

Does it lean into legacy and keep building from within?
Or does it embrace a clean sweep—and risk alienating the very viewers that still tune in?

If Holt’s exit is any clue, they’ve already chosen.

And if Llamas takes the desk, he won’t just inherit a time slot—he’ll inherit a storm.

As Donald Trump’s media foes are taken out one by one… fans wonder who will survive the bloodbath

 

With President Donald Trump‘s media enemies being taken out one by one, fans have been left wondering who is next on the chopping block – and who will survive the bloodbath.

The week started off in full swing as MSNBC canceled Joy Reid’s evening show on Sunday.

The dismissal of her show was then followed up by NBC News confirming that Lester Holt was out at Nightly News – the flagship show he has hosted for nearly a decade.

MSNBC then axed three more stars on Monday – Katie Phang, Jonathan Capehart and Ayman Mohyeldin – according to the New York Post, who obtained the insight from a source named only as ‘MSNBC insider.’

With a slew of top media professionals getting the boot, many have shared who they think might be next to get ousted, including MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough and his wife Mika Brzezinski.

The ‘Morning Joe’ co-hosts have long been vocal about their opposition toward Trump, even after visiting the Republican back in November in Mar-a-Lago to ‘restart communications.’ 

Meanwhile, other liberal media bigwigs – who have been put under the spotlight for their overt disdain towards the new president – may face more scrutiny in coming weeks amid the industry shakeup.

All eyes are on veteran anchors like George Stephanopoulos, Rachel Maddow, Peter Alexander and Mary Bruce – as fans guess who will survive the cable TV changes.

In just days, many media stars have been axed from their shows, some of which are known enemies of President Donald Trump. (Pictured: Trump on Monday)

MSNBC announced Sunday that Joy Reid’s show was canceled.  Lester Holt announced he was leaving NBC’s Nightly News on Monday

 

Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski (MSNBC)

Although their show has not been axed, some people have called for Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough’s slot to be culled, following the mass cancellations.

‘MSNBC needs to fire Morning Joe and Mika! Not Joy Reid!!,’ one online user said.

Brzezinski was recently forced to make a legal note about Trump on the show, appearing to learn a lesson from ABC News’ mishap that ended in a hefty legal bill.

Scott Galloway, a guest on the show at the time, was discussing the reasons why Trump beat Kamala Harris in November when he incorrectly slammed the president.

‘We are in the midst of a series of small revolutions to correct income inequality. And the reason we put an insurrectionist and a rapist in office is because for the first time in our nation’s history, a 30-year-old man or woman isn’t doing as well as his or his or her parents were at third,’ Galloway said.

As the ‘great conversation’ ended, Brzezinski made sure to correct Galloway to his face.

‘I want to make a comment about a word that was used in this interview. Donald Trump was tried civilly and was found libel of sexual abuse, not rape. But the judge in the case likened his actions to rape, but the liability was officially called sexual abuse.’

Although Morning Joe has not been axed, some have called for it to be following the mass cancellations. (Pictured: Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough)

George Stephanopoulos (ABC News) 

Stephanopoulos has also not been named as an anchor whose show was canceled, but his past comments on Trump have landed him and the network in the hot seat.

Following the media axes, people now believe his next in line as one person posted to X: ‘When is George Stephanopoulos leaving?’

‘All we need now is the life of George Stephanopoulos to be gone,’ wrote another.

Stephanopoulos erroneously claimed on-air that the president-elect was found ‘liable for rape’ – rather than the correct phrasing of sexual abuse – against writer E. Jean Carroll in March.

Trump sued Stephanopoulos and the network for defamation soon after the segment aired, accusing the anchor of making the statements with ‘malice’ and a disregard for the truth.

As part of the $16million settlement, Stephanopoulos was forced to issue a public apology.

Stephanopoulos has also not been named as an anchor whose show was canceled, but his past comments on Trump have landed him and the network in the hot seat

He has since isolated himself at the network, insiders told the New York Post, with some suggesting he may be out of a job by the summer.

‘George seems miserable,’ one source said.

‘He’s definitely gone. He’s a dead man walking for sure.’

Others, though, said Stephanopoulos could remain at the network in a lower-profile way, possibly working on film and television projects.

Rachel Maddow (MSNBC) 

All eyes are also on MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, who has long been outspoken about her views on Trump, during the shocking cable TV shakeup.

‘Do Rachel Maddow next,’ a user wrote online.

In fact, following Reid’s show being canceled, the president mentioned Maddow after saying that the network should pay restitution for ‘damaging’ the nation, while also branding Reid a ‘mentally obnoxious racist.’

‘Based on her ratings, which were virtually non-existent, she should have been “canned” long ago, along with everyone else who works there,’ he said on his Truth Social page.

Trump then cited a litany of fellow hosts he felt deserved his derision, including Al Sharpton and Rachel Maddow.

MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, who has long been outspoken about her views on Trump, could also be next in line. In fact, following Reid’s show being canceled, the president mentioned Maddow

The latter, the president claimed, ‘rarely shows up because she knows there’s nobody watching and she also knows that she’s got less television persona than virtually anyone on television except, perhaps, Joy Reid.’

‘This whole corrupt operation is nothing more than an illegal arm of the Democrat Party,’ Trump added.

Peter Alexander (NBC News) 

Alexander, who has already surfaced as a journalist to look out for in the briefing room with Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt, might now find himself in the spotlight after the shakeup at his network.

Some are even saying he might take over Holt’s spot on NBC Nightly News, but he’s been a vocal critic of Trump’s administration so far.

‘They’ll give it to Peter Alexander,’ someone said online.

In January, Alexander repeatedly interrupted Leavitt after asking about Trump’s deportation plan for migrants in the US.

Bringing up how Trump said they would ‘start with the criminals’, Alexander asked whether violent offenders would really be deported before other immigrants.

He proceeded to point out how ‘nearly half’ of the 1,179 migrants arrested on Sunday were found to ‘have no prior criminal record’, citing NBC’s own reports.

Alexander, who has already surfaced as a journalist to look out for in the briefing room with Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt, might have all eyes on him now

Leavitt responded by suggesting that all undocumented migrants would be targeted equally, while touting the effort as ‘the largest mass deportation operation in American history of illegal criminals.’

However, the Weekend Today host and Chief White House correspondent kept on with his line of questioning, interrupting Leavitt mid-explanation.

‘I apologize for interrupting. So to be clear, violent criminals do not receive precedence in terms of the deportations taking place,’ he asked.

‘The president has also said two things can be true at the same time. We want to deport illegal criminals, illegal immigrants from this country,’ Leavitt amicably explained.

 Mary Bruce (ABC News) 

While Mary Bruce remains in her legacy position at ABC News, all eyes have been on her since Trump’s inauguration after she went after his appointed press secretary, Leavitt.

During a recent press briefing, she asked Leavitt about Trump’s federal funding freeze, and what she framed as ‘confusion’ surrounding the subject.

This earned one of the sternest rebuffs from Leavitt of the day, showing the secretary’s ability to not mince words. Trump rescinded the order anyway, following pushback from House Republicans

‘Some of the confusion I think may be here with this pause on federal funding – you’ve made it clear you’re not stopping funds that go directly to individuals,’ Bruce asked before the order was nixed, as many engaged in needless hysteria.

‘But there certainly are lots of organizations that receive funding and then may pass along a benefit,’ she pointed out. ‘Meals on Wheels for one – they provide meals for over 2.2 million seniors.’

All eyes have also been on Mary Bruce, another legacy media journalist who’s gone after Leavitt

‘What is the president’s message to Americans out there many of whom supported him and voted for him, who are concerned that this is going to impact them directly?’ the journalist who’s spent 18 years at ABC asked, growing increasingly animated.

‘Even if, as you said, the funding isn’t coming directly to their wallets.’

Visibly fed-up, Leavitt offered a response that appeared to put Bruce’s inquiries to bed.

‘I have now been asked – and answered – this question four times,’ she began, setting out on a clear, concise explanation.

‘To individuals at home who receive direct assistance from the federal government, you will not be impacted by this federal freeze,’ she continued.

Joy Reid (MSNBC) 

One liberal anchor who has been open about her disdain for Trump – and has since had her show canceled – is Joy Reid.

On Sunday it was announced that Reid’s show, The ReidOut, was pulled from MSNBC. 

Hours after the news came out, MSNBC bosses said they were struggling to get a hold of Reid to ask her if she’ll do a final show. 

Network president Rebecca Kutler revealed the ominous silence while addressing staffers of The Reid Out over the weekend following its cancellation, Status News reported.

‘We are waiting to get a response from Joy and her team about how she would like to handle that, and we want to defer to her on that,’ Kutler told staff.

‘The hope is that we will have a final show with Joy.’

After not commenting on her firing and being unusually quiet on TikTok, Reid finally addressed her show’s cancelation on Monday as she wiped away many tears (pictured)

 

After not commenting on her firing and being unusually quiet on TikTok, Reid finally addressed her show’s cancellation on Monday.

‘I’ve been through every emotion… anger, rage, disappointment, hurt… guilt. You know, [ a feeling] that I let my team lose their jobs,’ Reid said during a Zoom conversation with the Win With Black Women podcast.

‘But in the end, where I really land… is just gratitude. Just pure gratitude and gratitude. Not just because people would take the time to get on a call like this or to take care of me. But also that my show had value.’

Reid broke down as she explained that she’s not sorry for having gone ‘hard on so many’ progressive issues like Black Lives Matter or immigrant rights on her primetime slot.

‘Whether it’s talking about any of these issues and, yes, whether it’s talking about Gaza and the fact that we as the American people have a right to object, to have a right to object to little babies being bombed,’ Reid went on.

‘And and where I come down on that is I’m not sorry. I am not sorry that I stood up for  those things because those things are of God.

‘I’m not sorry, I’m just proud of my show,’ she concluded.

Kutler insisted Trump was not a factor in the decision and the network’s changes were made based on ‘data analysis and programming strategy’ that she believes will ‘best position MSNBC for the year ahead.’

Holt, 65, announced on Monday that he is stepping down in a memo sent to staffers, ten years after he stepped in to replace longtime fixture Brian Williams on a full-time basis. (Pictured: Holt in November 2023)

The veteran anchor will now only man his usual spot on Dateline, NBC News’ Executive Vice President of Programming Janelle Rodriguez said

She said the show’s cancellation was part of a ‘broader slate of programming changes that will be laid out’ on Monday.

The show’s staffers reportedly expressed ‘frustration and disbelief’ that they learned of the show’s fate through media reports and not the network’s leadership.

Kutler confirmed the show’s staff has been terminated but will be paid until April and receive severance.

The show’s 7pm ET time slot will be replaced by a panel show co-hosted by Symone Sanders Townsend, Alicia Menendez and Michael Steele.

Lester Holt (NBC News) 

Holt, 65, announced on Monday that he is stepping down in a memo sent to staffers – ten years after he stepped in to replace longtime fixture Brian Williams on a full-time basis.

The veteran anchor will now only man his usual spot on Dateline, NBC News’ Executive Vice President of Programming Janelle Rodriguez said in a statement.

NBC – an asset of MSNBC – has yet to announce a replacement.

‘[Holt] will continue at the helm of Nightly until early summer,’ Rodriguez said, revealing how the anchor will then devote ‘his energy to the rapidly-expanding powerhouse that is Dateline.’

Holt – previously the host of the show’s weekend edition – began hosting Nightly News on weekdays in June of 2015, after a scandal surrounding reporting from the Iraq War upended Williams’ career.

He has since told staffers his time on the show was an ‘amazing ride’ – doing so in a letter sent to Nightly and Dateline staffers Monday morning.

MSNBC’s Katie Phang was informed over the weekend that her show ‘The Katie Phang Show’ is being canceled

Jonathan Capehart’s weekend show was also axed on MSNBC

The principal anchor of ‘Dateline’ since September 2011 did not mention the show’s waning ratings, which are down year-over-year.

Instead, he expressed excitement about ‘continuing as anchor of “Dateline NBC” for the first time ‘in a full time capacity.’

‘I will be expanding my footprint on the broadcast and crafting ‘Dateline ‘hours on subjects I care deeply about,’ the anchor added, in a memo since re-shared by the company.

‘I am thrilled to be able to work more closely with my enormously talented friends at Dateline as the broadcast continues to grow and attract new viewers.’

Dateline is currently the 14th most popular show on NBC and is viewed by more than 2.3million people, but like most legacy media broadcasts as of late, is down drastically in terms of viewership when compared with years prior.

Katie Phang (MSNBC) 

Phang, 49, was informed over the weekend that her show ‘The Katie Phang Show’ is being canceled.

Phang is now the network’s legal correspondent, after already serving as legal analyst for NBCUniversal since 2017.

Her show is filmed from MSNBC’s South Florida studios, which the network is now set to shutter, sources told the Post.

It remains unclear when she will host her final installment.

Ayman Mohyeldin’s weekend show was also cut. His final episode is set for April 20 at 7pm

Jonathan Capehart (MSNBC) 

His show, ‘Weekend with Jonathan Capehart’, was also canceled on Monday.

It also remains unclear when he will host his final show, but he is said to be getting a new show during a different time slot. Details of that have not yet been announced.

Ayman Mohyeldin (MSNBC) 

It was also announced that Mohyeldin, who hosts Ayman Mohyeldin Reports, will broadcast its final episode on April 20 at 7pm, a spokesperson confirmed.

Mohyeldin, 45, and Capehart are said to be getting new shows in different time slots – though the details surrounding them have yet to be announced.