Longtime network anchor Brian Williams left television on a full-time basis in late 2021, but that hasn’t stopped executives from continuing to court him for a return.
A report from Semafor says at least one network has approached Williams about his interest in returning to television. Williams ended his run on The 11th Hour after his contract with MSNBC was set to expire, ending his 28-year tenure with NBC News.
As he approached his departure date from NBC News, Williams launched a podcast entitled We Interrupt This Broadcast. The 12-part docu-series featured an in-depth look into the media reporting and reaction to some of the largest events in 20th century American history. The episodes center around the media response to breaking news, before diving deeper into the topics which included the Oklahoma City bombing, the Challenger disaster, and the explosion of the Hindenburg, among others.
According to Semafor, the network that pitched a return for Williams was interested in repurposing the content of the We Interrupt This Broadcast into a television series hosted by the anchor.
Williams rose to prominence in the early 2000s after being tabbed to replace Tom Brokaw as the host of NBC Nightly News. He held that position until February of 2015, when he was suspended and eventually removed from the role after fabricating a story of his experience covering the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
The multiple Emmy Award-winning journalist claimed he was travelling in a military helicopter that was shot by a rocket-propelled grenade and was forced to make an emergency landing. That encapsulation was debunked, and Williams recanted the tale before being suspended. He then moved to MSNBC after his six month suspension concluded.
