Lester Holt stepping down from NBC Nightly News

[Yayan4155 34]

 

[mouseboy33 103]

Tom seems like a nice guy. But his delivery for me lacks the gravitas of Brokaw, Williams and Holt that preceded him. He has a delivery similar to that of David Muir. Im not a fan of the breathless clipped style. That NBC and ABC now uses for the past decade. The reporters dont even use complete sentences anymore. After watching Tom Llamas for a few minutes. I had to switch to CBS. I was Night News viewer for decades. But Im kinda done now. Ive always had respect for NBC News as an entity. BUt i cant take it the tik tok style delivery. 

[GraphicsMan 141]

19 minutes ago, mouseboy33 said:

Tom seems like a nice guy. But his delivery for me lacks the gravitas of Brokaw, Williams and Holt that preceded him. He has a delivery similar to that of David Muir. Im not a fan of the breathless clipped style. That NBC and ABC now uses for the past decade. The reporters dont even use complete sentences anymore. After watching Tom Llamas for a few minutes. I had to switch to CBS. I was Night News viewer for decades. But Im kinda done now. Ive always had respect for NBC News as an entity. BUt i cant take it the tik tok style delivery. 

Wow that was harsh got home later but i saw the last 15 minutes so i can really put a finger on it. I have some other opinions but id keep it to myself.

17 hours ago, TVLurker said:

@GraphicsMan I've grown to appreciate Austin Reed. A lot us in this forum thought he was some hotshot who bragged but had no talent, that was based off of seeing a newscast with a very low budget and weird music choices, especially during the weather segments. I still remember Sexual Seduction by Snoop Dogg playing in the background while a weather map of Fresno was shown.

 

I and others were shocked with Austin Reed made an account a few years back to address criticism of the newscast that was airing at the time, he was really annoyed and frustrated with his initial posts but what struck me was that he wanted to take the profession seriously and even made attempts to make the newscast better in the process taking our criticism to heart.

 

It's sad that the newscast was canceled by the station due to factors like them wanting the station to make a huge profit. They did not care about the product at all and only saw you as filler that was immediately made irrelevant when the station decided to fire the people who made the newscasts.

 

Terrestrial TV is on life support at this point in time. I have ideas on how to run a terrestrial television network in a way that can actually stand up to not only the other TV networks but to streamers as well. Like how the TV networks valued streaming over a terrestrial television network, I would value terrestrial television over streaming with my terrestrial television network.

 

Even I am having doubts that nothing anybody could do would make a difference in the terrestrial television medium we grew up with. With any company you must pump absurd amounts of money to get results and the results don't work then your company starts to fail and when your company starts to fail you become broke and you are forced to get another job that is lesser than the company you once ran. I still carry on this idea because even if it doesn't really pan out, I would at least like an opportunity to prove that the terrestrial TV model is still viable as a medium.

 

If you're asking, none of my plans involve a streaming service or a film studio. Those combinations worked well initially but soon became ultra disruptive to the point where the only content you will find that's good is on a streamer that you have to pay a monthly fee for and you can't even share the accounts with other households for the sole purpose of making people give them more money. Having either a streaming service or a film studio to me is ultimately detrimental when it comes to traditional TV.

 

ABC, NBC, CBS and even FOX get less attention when it comes to content and investment and their owners also own a streaming service and/or a film studio, it's is also more absurd that we do not have traditional TV transmitting their content in 4K60 with HDR and Dolby Atmos which is part of the ATSC 3.0 standard. It's all reserved for the streamers and a lot of movies that are on Fandango at Home. I'm tired of seeing other countries broadcast traditional TV in 4K60 with HDR and Dolby Atmos, we are the United States of America for crying out loud, why are we stuck on a standard that was first developed around the millennium and has never really substantially improved after. TV is stuck at 1080i/720p with 5.1 surround sound and some 480p/i channels that may or may not broadcast in widescreen and it's just pathetic at this point. 25 years of ATSC 1.0, even the NTSC standard that was introduced in the mid 40s/late 50s was able to have color in the 60s, stereo sound in the 80s and surround sound and closed captioning in the 90s. That analog standard has managed to have more innovation than ATSC 1.0 and it's lasted longer than even ATSC 1.0 and that transmission format is still going.

 

I'm sorry for going off topic, so yeah... It's really terrible what happened to you. The broadcasting industry has become absolute shit, all the consolidation that went on was crazy and it's possible the current FCC could actually allow more shit mergers that reduce choice until there's a few left. Scripps is on it's last legs and was the first channel group to do lazy automated newscasts which Sinclair and Bryon Allen soon starting doing. TEGNA is still doing a lot of local programming, Grey is still taking care of it's stations and even Nexstar is doing some positive things with WPIX, WGN and KTLA and even KRON which was at one point the least watched station in San Francisco due to Young Broadcasting's ridiculous mishandling of the station.
 

Those station groups may not have started to automate their newscasts but it's getting to a point where they're considering it. Every broadcast group also has to deal with the networks reverse compensation fees that have grown to values that don't really represent each network's value and also have to fear about a plan B if any network decides to leave traditional TV entirely for greener pastures like their own streaming service. The impending ESPN streaming service that will contain every bit of ESPN including the live sports is seen as a benefit by cable TV companies but harmful for cable TV itself. Nexstar and others rely on retransmission fees that both often create disputes around and things will get to a point where cable TV companies will have every bit of control when it comes to rejecting what TV channels get to be on it's systems, that includes Nexstar which has a cable channel called NewsNation of which is profitable now but in the long term is unviable solely cause the channel relies on retransmission fees that cable companies have to pay as part of deals with Nexstar that use local stations as a bargaining chip.

 

Call me crazy but I really believe that in a year or shorter, the landscape will change in a way unseen since the 1994 New World affiliation deal except there's no real winner here. There is going to be one broadcast network that will call it quits thus leading the way for others to follow eventually, there will be a lot of TV station closures that will ultimately be worse then CHCH and CKX combined, there will be a slim number of broadcast groups with Scripps, Sinclair and Bryon Allen eventually going bye bye and a small number of mergers that ultimately create monopolies similar to radio groups like iHeartMedia and Audacy.

 

In short, it is really going be a shitstorm out there. I hope Austin Reed makes it out okay, he really has his heart set on the TV journalism profession. I also apologize for those who had to read those long nerdy paragraphs.

I’m just glad I’m no longer on camera anymore, ehh I hate it one thing it made me realize is I don’t wanna be famous. Maybe someday I’ll return, but I like my sales job I was making more anyways. Austin will be fine he really likes small markets he’s not a fan of big markets because he cares and wants to mentor journalists like myself he’s a good guy who just a the wrong end of a deal he was passionate he wouldn’t be able to see potential like he did in me in a big market because he wouldn’t have been able to hire me without no experience or Eric or Marcus. He generally doesn’t care about market size he loves what he does I wish they were more people like that in all industries.

[MediaZone4K 2254]

Same script different cast. Tom did a decent job as expected. Seamless transition. IMO the iffy set and formatting persist. I don't think he'll beat David Muir but I anticipate NNN will remain a strong number two. 

 

There's a new segment "The Cost of Denial" about the toll of healthcare insurance denial on patients. No doubt a conversation sparked by the Luigi case.

[GraphicsMan 141]

17 minutes ago, MediaZone4K said:

Same script different cast. Tom did a decent job as expected. Seamless transition. IMO the iffy set and formatting persist. I don't think he'll beat David Muir but I anticipate NNN will remain a strong number two. 

 

There's a new segment "The Cost of Denial" about the toll of healthcare insurance denial on patients. No doubt a conversation sparked by the Luigi case.

Muir been on the chair for the longest out of any of the networks while CBS and NBC changed anchors for there flagship programs a combined 6 times since Muir got the job in 2014. In fact I’m going back to Muir tomorrow I’m just used to him, I just wanted to see this change out.

Edited Tuesday at 12:02 AM by GraphicsMan

[TheNewsTV 260]

I hope I'm not getting off topic, but Tom's streaming show, TopStory, has moved to 1A.

[GraphicsMan 141]

He also did a special report from 1A today also. 

 

 

7 minutes ago, TheNewsTV said:

I hope I'm not getting off topic, but Tom's streaming show, TopStory, has moved to 1A.

Yep he retaining those duties too wonder if he’s the managing editor of that program also, whatever he has a heavy workload. I probably would’ve stepped down from one program to focus on another. If Studio 1A becomes to studio for all the important NBC News programs then it needs to be extensively renovated, I think it’s a good idea for both programs to share that space.

Edited Tuesday at 12:17 AM by GraphicsMan

[MorningNews 1498]

2 hours ago, mouseboy33 said:

Tom seems like a nice guy. But his delivery for me lacks the gravitas of Brokaw, Williams and Holt that preceded him. He has a delivery similar to that of David Muir. Im not a fan of the breathless clipped style. That NBC and ABC now uses for the past decade. The reporters dont even use complete sentences anymore. After watching Tom Llamas for a few minutes. I had to switch to CBS. I was Night News viewer for decades. But Im kinda done now. Ive always had respect for NBC News as an entity. BUt i cant take it the tik tok style delivery. 

I agree with all of this. He’s such an underwhelming anchor and presenter that it’s hard to believe he’s the flagship anchor for NBC News. Maybe we’ll feel different about him when he’s had the role for a few years but then again I’ve always thought this of him. It seems like NBC just wanted to find a Muir answer.

[FiveNews 379]

Top Story is really good. Was hoping he would hand it off to Ellison Barber so he could focus full time on Nightly.

[TVLurker 239]

21 hours ago, GraphicsMan said:

If Studio 1A becomes to studio for all the important NBC News programs then it needs to be extensively renovated, I think it’s a good idea for both programs to share that space.

It makes sense with Tom doing both Top Story and Nightly News at the same time, why move from different floors and studios when you have it all in one.

 

What intrigues me the most is how they manage to make Studio 1A look different for all 3 shows. Of course the Today logo on the side ruins the illusion but I'm impressed none-the-less.

[GraphicsMan 141]

29 minutes ago, TVLurker said:

It makes sense with Tom doing both Top Story and Nightly News at the same time, why move from different floors and studios when you have it all in one.

 

What intrigues me the most is how they manage to make Studio 1A look different for all 3 shows. Of course the Today logo on the side ruins the illusion but I'm impressed none-the-less.

Well with MSNBC moving out soon, they’ll have a lot of studio space soon. But if 
Tom likes it I don’t see a problem. That today logo can be removed for the nighttime shows. I’m sure the set can be modified in between shows Tom already moved to another part of the set for Top Story. Ya know I think studio 1A is a great space, and with today’s technology they can have there own space for all principal shows, breaking news and election coverage and special reports as needed.

[MediaZone4K 2254]

On 6/2/2025 at 7:00 PM, mouseboy33 said:

Tom seems like a nice guy. But his delivery for me lacks the gravitas of Brokaw, Williams and Holt that preceded him. He has a delivery similar to that of David Muir. Im not a fan of the breathless clipped style. That NBC and ABC now uses for the past decade. The reporters dont even use complete sentences anymore. After watching Tom Llamas for a few minutes. I had to switch to CBS. I was Night News viewer for decades. But Im kinda done now. Ive always had respect for NBC News as an entity. BUt i cant take it the tik tok style delivery. 

I think Tom gets the job done. He strikes me as the NBC version of David Muir. Young(ish) guy in a suit and tie at the desk, Roving anchorman in a black t shirt out in the field. If not Tom then who is the alternative with those all encompassing traits? Peter Alexander perhaps? 

 

IMO the issue is more so NBC Nightly News than Tom. I like Lester Holt but the program's quality declined after took over. It's been rapid fire pacing, high story count, head spinning graphics in packages, and breaking news for the entire A block. All of this I'm sure was a response to World News Tonight getting #1 (so I understand why they felt the need to change).

 

Of the modern era anchors,  Brian Williams' broadcast was superior. It fast paced as well but not to the ADHD level it is today. He also possessed a grand narrative style that was evident during his anchor intros that I appreciated.

 

Regarding the speaking I've noticed and been irritated by it too. NBC and ABC anchors seem to shout and as you say talk in half sentences. "Bullets flying; police coming to the scene, investigators finding victims". It's a mechanism to keep the story's "TRT" or runtime down to about 90 seconds long.  

Edited yesterday at 12:22 PM by MediaZone4K

[MidwestTV 1244]

4 hours ago, MediaZone4K said:

IMO the issue is more so NBC Nightly News than Tom. I like Lester Holt but the program's quality declined after took over. It's been rapid fire pacing, high story count, head spinning graphics in packages, and breaking news for the entire A block. All of this I'm sure was a response to World News Tonight getting #1 (so I understand why they felt the need to change).

 

This is precisely what the problem is. They took the lazy route and copied WNT's format, especially with the excessive use of breaking news for stories that are sometimes days old. Feeling the need to make changes is fine and necessary, but directly copying your competition is the easy way out, especially if you aren't taking their ideas and trying to improve upon them.

[carolinanews4 392]

On 6/3/2025 at 4:43 PM, GraphicsMan said:

Well with MSNBC moving out soon, they’ll have a lot of studio space soon. 

 

I wouldn't say that MSNBC's departure will open up a lot of studio space. It will open one major studio - Studio 3A. They will have more office space opening up than studio space.