NBCBrian Williams and NBC News are parting ways for the time being.
The network announced that the NBC Nightly News anchor and managing editor has been suspended for six months after he admitted to telling an embellished story about his time covering the war in Iraq in 2003.
"The suspension will be without pay and is effective immediately," NBC News President Deborah Turness said in a statement Tuesday. "We let Brian know of our decision earlier today. Lester Holt will continue to substitute anchor the NBC Nightly News."
Williams had already opted to remove himself temporarily from the anchor chair he's held for 10 years, telling colleagues in a memo released by NBC on Saturday: "As managing editor of NBC Nightly News, I have decided to take myself off of my daily broadcast for the next several days, and Lester Holt has kindly agreed to sit in for me to allow us to adequately deal with this issue. Upon my return, I will continue my career-long effort to be worthy of the trust of those who place their trust in us."
Holt has been NBC Nightly News' weekend anchor since 2007.
Williams, 55, apologized during his regular broadcast on Feb. 4 after a story he had told multiple times about being in a Chinook helicopter that was forced to land after taking fire in 2003 was called into question. Disputing Williams' account after he retold the story recently, members of the 159th Aviation Regiment told military paper Stars and Stripes that Williams wasn't in the helicopter that was shot at on the mission in question.
"I made a mistake in recalling the events of 12 years ago," Williams said on the air last Wednesday. "I want to apologize."
"I would not have chosen to make this mistake," he also said. "I don't know what screwed up in my mind that caused me to conflate one aircraft with another."
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