Latest news with #LesterHolt
Washington Post
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Tom Llamas is taking over for Lester Holt. Will viewers keep watching?
For the past 10 years, 'NBC Nightly News' viewers have come to expect Lester Holt in the anchor seat at 6:30 every weeknight, providing a tight and polished overview of the day's biggest news stories. The newscast has only had three anchors in the past 40 years: Tom Brokaw, Brian Williams, then Holt. On Monday, Tom Llamas will take over the job, while Holt will remain at the network to expand his role on 'Dateline.'
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tom Llamas to start as new face of ‘NBC Nightly News' this week
There will soon be a new face of 'NBC Nightly News.' On Monday, June 2, Tom Llamas will take over as anchor and managing editor, replacing Lester Holt, who anchored the program for 10 years. Llamas explains how he plans to take 'Nightly News' on the road to share our stories. 'I live by two tenets, and I think this is true of all of NBC News,' Llamas said. You want to be tough but fair, and you want to report the news without fear or favor, and that's what I'm going to do. I think you have to go to those stories and leave the anchor desk, which I'm going to do a lot, because I believe in sort of shining a light and bearing witness. Because I think when there's a story or an event that causes the whole nation to pause and to look at a city or a town in America, because something has happened there, I want our viewers to know that I'm going to be there as well. Because I think the greats in our business, they could talk on television, but what truly made them great is that they were great listeners. And I think you have to go down there and hear people's stories, because in America, people have a lot to say, and they want to be heard." PREVIOUS COVERAGE >>> Lester Holt to anchor last 'NBC Nightly News' tonight before stepping down Llamas is currently a senior national correspondent and anchor of 'Top Story with Tom Llamas' on NBC's streaming platform, which he will continue each weeknight. You can watch Tom Llamas and 'NBC Nightly News' at 6:30 p.m. each weeknight on Channel 11. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What Lester Holt told Tom Llamas before handing over 'NBC Nightly News'
Tom Llamas first stepped into NBC's Rockefeller Center headquarters in 2000 as a fresh-faced intern. On Monday, he becomes part of television news history as the fifth anchor of "NBC Nightly News" and the first Latino journalist to helm a daily English-language network evening newscast (one of his mentors, Jose Diaz-Balart, handles the Saturday edition of "Nightly"). Llamas, 45, takes over for Lester Holt, who will move full time to NBC's "Dateline" after a 10-year run in the anchor chair. Llamas will remain the anchor of "Top Story," a live, hourlong newscast on the network's free streaming platform NBC News Now. The son of Cuban immigrants, Llamas grew up in Miami, where he continues to have strong ties (pop superstar Gloria Estefan and "Sabado Gigante" host Don Francisco attended a party in Florida to celebrate his promotion). He lives in Westchester County, N.Y., with his wife, Jennifer, three children aged 12, nine and seven, and a dedicated room for his vinyl record collection built from a decade of crate-digging while traveling around the world on assignment. He recently spoke with The Times about his new role. You've known Lester Holt since you were a 21-year-old production assistant at NBC News. What advice did he give you for your new role? He's been married to this job. And so I asked him about that, because my kids have always known me as a network correspondent and a network anchor. But he told me, "Your life is going to change." And he explained to me that everyone's going to want a piece of you and there's going to be a lot of demands, even more than you've ever experienced. And he's been right about that. He said, "You have to make the right decisions when it comes to your career and your family." My wife and my kids have known that sometimes I'll be at a little league game or I'll be at a school play, and I have to run and jump on a plane because there's breaking news. And they understand that their dad does that. But we always have conversations about it. And it's tough. Do your children watch 'NBC Nightly News" and 'Top Story"? Oh yeah. I had my 7-year-old explaining the election to his classmates. He was walking them through when President Biden stepped down and Kamala Harris took over the nomination. Sometimes it's tough. They were watching that night during Hurricane Milton last summer when a transformer exploded over my head, and that is a little scary. There were some text messages and calls to me quickly. Sometimes they watch a little too much and we have to turn it off. But they are very plugged-in; they know the world around them. It's just the same way I was raised. We watched news in English and Spanish as far back as I can remember. Because my parents were always searching for news out of Cuba. What are your early news viewing memories? I can really remember any time Fidel Castro was going to be interviewed. It was always a major moment, right? I remember my parents watching the interview and then deciding if it was a fair interview or not and having an open conversation about that. So I'm hearing about conversations of fairness my entire life. And I see what it means and how viewers react to that. Did that inspire you to go into the profession? I don't know if it was an inspiration as much as it was a testament of how important the news is. It's just that my family relied on the news. They wanted to know what was happening in their home country. They wanted to know what was happening in America. And they listened, and they trust these people. Read more: The network evening news is in flux: Why an American TV institution is under pressure What made the powers that be decide that you should keep doing "Top Story" while doing "Nightly"? It was actually my idea. Right now, in this country, you've got to be everywhere. And I didn't want to lose what we've established for three and a half years. We just got nominated for an Emmy up against amazing legacy shows like "Nightly News," "ABC World News Tonight" and the "CBS Evening News." To be in that circle with a streaming show that is three years old, that's been one of the greatest achievements of my career. Because this was a startup. And a lot of people said we couldn't do this, and we have. President Trump basically declared war on diversity, equity and inclusion policies. [The Federal Communications Commission has called for an investigation into NBC's parent firm Comcast for what it describes as "DEI discrimination."] Has that muted the achievement of being the first Latino to anchor an English-speaking nightly newscast? I don't think I got this job because I'm Hispanic; I think I got this job because I'm the best person for the job. And I know that's what NBC believes, too. My life story is something I'm very proud of. [My parents] essentially came to this country with nothing. They had no money, they barely spoke the language, and this incredible country gave them a second chance. It gave them a new home. And they taught me hard work, but they also taught me to love this country. And I do, I think this is the greatest place in the world, hands down. To become the anchor of "Nightly News" tells me that the American dream is still very alive. You're from the streaming music generation, but you have a vinyl record collection. How did that happen? Ten or 12 years ago, I went to my friend's house in Los Angeles and he has a record player. I think he played "Sticky Fingers" from the Rolling Stones. We just chilled and we listened to the album. And I thought, "What a great experience." Then I realized the other fun part about records is just finding them and collecting them, and trying to get original pressings. I have Wilson Pickett records that were made in Spain. I have Beatles records where the liner notes and the album covers are in different languages. I have a room where I have them — it feels like you're walking into a jukebox. It's where I read the paper sometimes. It's where I prepare for big election nights. I'll be in there for hours. It's how I relax. What's on your turntable at the moment? I'm in a bit of a hard-bop phase, so I'm listening to a lot of Art Blakey, a lot of Cannonball Adderley. I've been trying to find great live albums. I picked up this great five-record set from Bruce Springsteen, the run he had in the late '70s through the '80s. And a great album, which I got turned on to, is Elvis Presley's "From Elvis in Memphis." He recorded that in 1969, when Jimi Hendrix was taking off and Woodstock was happening. And it's just a very country Americana album with beautiful songs. It's got the Memphis Boys backing him. You have good taste in music. I appreciate it. Sign up for our Wide Shot newsletter to get the latest entertainment business news, analysis and insights. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Welcome, Tom Llamas, to TV's Never-Ending Evening-News Battle
Tom Llamas has no formal training in juggling, but his new assignment for NBC News will have him working to keep some very big plates spinning in the air. When Llamas takes over the 'NBC Nightly News' desk from Lester Holt on Monday night, one of his first jobs will be to ensure that the program's audience barely notices, even if a transition in such a program is one of the more seismic things that happens on TV. He will do it even as he keeps his old job, anchoring 'Top Story,' an hour-long streaming program for the broadband outlet NBC News Now that starts the minute 'Nightly' ends Monday through Friday. More from Variety Lester Holt Ends 10-Year Run as 'NBC Nightly News' Anchor With Hopeful Sign-Off: 'Facts Matter, Words Matter, Journalism Matters and You Matter' Lester Holt Will Exit NBC's 'Nightly,' but Not News: 'I Still Had Gas in the Tank' NBC News Uses Kentucky Derby for New Swing at Sports Coverage 'It's funny, but most of the questions I've received' since NBC News announced his new role have focused on ''How are you going to do that?'' says Llamas during a recent interview with Variety. 'I remind people that 'Today' is four hours straight every single day.' The key, says the 45-year-old self-effacing correspondent, is to prove to audiences that he is representing them in a world where even the simple act of delivering the news has become increasingly complex. 'I want viewers never to forget that we're out there working for them. I truly believe that even though I work for NBC, I work for the viewer,' he says. 'I really want that to come through, because at the end of the day, viewers have to trust you.' Executives at NBC News believe that by naming Llamas the 'Nightly' anchor, they are giving viewers something they really want. Here, after all, is someone who, before coming to NBC, was the weekend anchor for ABC News' 'World News Tonight,' the nation's most-watched evening-news program. Llamas was widely seen as a top candidate to succeed that show's current anchor, David Muir — with one notable caveat. Muir is only 51,and, given his status in the ratings, seems unlikely to leave the role anytime soon. Now Llamas can anchor the evening news as well, and there is some reason for internal optimism. A recent revamp of 'CBS Evening News' that uses two anchors and has shifted focus to enterprise and feature reporting has not been well-received, with Nielsen showing that both 'Nightly' and 'World News' have picked up audience share. Executives have also been enthused by a performance by Llamas on March 7, when he filled in for Holt on 'Nightly' and won more viewers among people between 25 and 54 — the crowd advertisers desire most in news programs — than Muir did for the evening. Muir has typically trumped Llamas in that audience category by 21% when the two have gone head-to-head, according to Nielsen data. ABC News certainly seems aware of Llamas' new tenure on 'Nightly.' The Disney-backed news division recently made Muir available for a profile in 'People' in the days ahead of Llamas' new start. 'I have a lot of admiration and respect for David, and I'm looking forward to going up against him every night,' says Llamas. 'I'm sure he is as well.' 'Nightly' viewers won't see any overhauls or shakeups to the format they know well, a nod, perhaps, to the challenges CBS News has faced. 'We really started this with tremendous respect for our audience. Many of our viewers grew up watching 'Nightly'' with anchors including Tom Brokaw or Brian Williams, says Janelle Rodriguez, executive vice president of programming for NBC News, during an interview. 'There is a visceral and emotional connection to the broadcast.' Indeed, some new segments ought to appeal to broader audiences. One early effort will have NBC News correspondents probing something every American can relate to, no matter their background. 'We are going to take a very sharp and tough look at the insurance industry,' Llamas says. 'People across this country from all walks of life are having issues' with the effects of being denied coverage. In one coming report, a man with liver cancer who was denied coverage for an experimental treatment was able to get it after NBC News examined the circumstances. 'I come from local news,' says Llamas. 'I don't want to lean back.' NBC's 'Nightly' will also start to ramp up coverage tied to the nation's 250th birthday in 2026, with nods to memorable places and people. 'Whether you are Republican or you are Democrat or you are independent,' says Llamas, the reports will spotlight subject in which viewers should have natural interest. Llamas is only the fourth person to anchor 'Nightly' in 40 years and says he has reached out to many of his predecessors for advice and counsel. But it's not the position he expected to have when he was 15 years old and working as an overnight production assistant at WSCV, a Telemundo station in Miami. 'Whatever they wanted me to do, I would do,' recalls Llamas. 'You're getting coffee, answering phones, running the teleprompter, going to our crime scenes, interviewing local officials.' He had to enlist his mother for car rides until he got his driver's license. Now he's taking the desk at a fraught time for the TV-news business. The massive audiences that once made a habit of TV news have splintered across dozens of different video sources and the media companies that run the news operations are facing new economic pressures and political scrutiny. Such factors play a big role in the decision to have Llamas continue with his streaming duties. 'I think the way you survive is by being everywhere,' says Llamas. NBC intends to push 'Top Story' viewers to watch 'Nightly,' and vice-versa, says Rodriguez. 'We see this as an opportunity' to bridge any gaps between different generations of viewers, she says, and to 'create a lot of cross currents between the two shows.' As for politics, Llamas says such stuff is beyond his control. All he can do is get the news out. 'You just have to focus on the news and focus on your job, and just remember, it's never about you,' he says. 'It's not about you.' Part of the mission is to keep 'Nightly' viable for future generations, particularly as news aficionados get more thrown at them each day via digital and social outlets. 'There is just such a flood of info out there and on the one hand yes that' s scattering audiences across multiple platforms, but it is all creating an even bigger need for people to have curated, thought-out contextualized well-produced journalism format that makes the best use their time,' says Rodriguez. Such a show 'will only become more important as time goes on,' she adds. That's a heavy load to carry on the first week of a new job, but Llamas appears ready to get started. 'I'm going to have to make sure my energy level is peaking at 6:30. I may have to have a little Cuban coffee at 6:29,' he says, 'After that, I mean, we're off to the races.' Best of Variety What's Coming to Netflix in June 2025 New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts?
Los Angeles Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
What Lester Holt told Tom Llamas before handing over ‘NBC Nightly News'
Tom Llamas first stepped into NBC's Rockefeller Center headquarters in 2000 as a fresh-faced intern. On Monday, he becomes part of television news history as the fifth anchor of 'NBC Nightly News' and the first Latino journalist to helm a daily English-language network evening newscast (one of his mentors, Jose Diaz-Balart, handles the Saturday edition of 'Nightly'). Llamas, 45, takes over for Lester Holt, who will move full time to NBC's 'Dateline' after a 10-year run in the anchor chair. Llamas will remain the anchor of 'Top Story,' a live, hourlong newscast on the network's free streaming platform NBC News Now. The son of Cuban immigrants, Llamas grew up in Miami, where he continues to have strong ties (pop superstar Gloria Estefan and 'Sabado Gigante' host Don Francisco attended a party in Florida to celebrate his promotion). He lives in Westchester County, N.Y., with his wife, Jennifer, three children aged 12, nine and seven, and a dedicated room for his vinyl record collection built from a decade of crate-digging while traveling around the world on assignment. He recently spoke with The Times about his new role. You've known Lester Holt since you were a 21-year-old production assistant at NBC News. What advice did he give you for your new role? He's been married to this job. And so I asked him about that, because my kids have always known me as a network correspondent and a network anchor. But he told me, 'Your life is going to change.' And he explained to me that everyone's going to want a piece of you and there's going to be a lot of demands, even more than you've ever experienced. And he's been right about that. He said, 'You have to make the right decisions when it comes to your career and your family.' My wife and my kids have known that sometimes I'll be at a little league game or I'll be at a school play, and I have to run and jump on a plane because there's breaking news. And they understand that their dad does that. But we always have conversations about it. And it's tough. Do your children watch 'NBC Nightly News' and 'Top Story'? Oh yeah. I had my 7-year-old explaining the election to his classmates. He was walking them through when President Biden stepped down and Kamala Harris took over the nomination. Sometimes it's tough. They were watching that night during Hurricane Milton last summer when a transformer exploded over my head, and that is a little scary. There were some text messages and calls to me quickly. Sometimes they watch a little too much and we have to turn it off. But they are very plugged-in; they know the world around them. It's just the same way I was raised. We watched news in English and Spanish as far back as I can remember. Because my parents were always searching for news out of Cuba. What are your early news viewing memories? I can really remember any time Fidel Castro was going to be interviewed. It was always a major moment, right? I remember my parents watching the interview and then deciding if it was a fair interview or not and having an open conversation about that. So I'm hearing about conversations of fairness my entire life. And I see what it means and how viewers react to that. Did that inspire you to go into the profession? I don't know if it was an inspiration as much as it was a testament of how important the news is. It's just that my family relied on the news. They wanted to know what was happening in their home country. They wanted to know what was happening in America. And they listened, and they trust these people. What made the powers that be decide that you should keep doing 'Top Story' while doing 'Nightly'? It was actually my idea. Right now, in this country, you've got to be everywhere. And I didn't want to lose what we've established for three and a half years. We just got nominated for an Emmy up against amazing legacy shows like 'Nightly News,' 'ABC World News Tonight' and the 'CBS Evening News.' To be in that circle with a streaming show that is three years old, that's been one of the greatest achievements of my career. Because this was a startup. And a lot of people said we couldn't do this, and we have. President Trump basically declared war on diversity, equity and inclusion policies. [The Federal Communications Commission has called for an investigation into NBC's parent firm Comcast for what it describes as 'DEI discrimination.'] Has that muted the achievement of being the first Latino to anchor an English-speaking nightly newscast? I don't think I got this job because I'm Hispanic; I think I got this job because I'm the best person for the job. And I know that's what NBC believes, too. My life story is something I'm very proud of. [My parents] essentially came to this country with nothing. They had no money, they barely spoke the language, and this incredible country gave them a second chance. It gave them a new home. And they taught me hard work, but they also taught me to love this country. And I do, I think this is the greatest place in the world, hands down. To become the anchor of 'Nightly News' tells me that the American dream is still very alive. You're from the streaming music generation, but you have a vinyl record collection. How did that happen? Ten or 12 years ago, I went to my friend's house in Los Angeles and he has a record player. I think he played 'Sticky Fingers' from the Rolling Stones. We just chilled and we listened to the album. And I thought, 'What a great experience.' Then I realized the other fun part about records is just finding them and collecting them, and trying to get original pressings. I have Wilson Pickett records that were made in Spain. I have Beatles records where the liner notes and the album covers are in different languages. I have a room where I have them — it feels like you're walking into a jukebox. It's where I read the paper sometimes. It's where I prepare for big election nights. I'll be in there for hours. It's how I relax. What's on your turntable at the moment? I'm in a bit of a hard-bop phase, so I'm listening to a lot of Art Blakey, a lot of Cannonball Adderley. I've been trying to find great live albums. I picked up this great five-record set from Bruce Springsteen, the run he had in the late '70s through the '80s. And a great album, which I got turned on to, is Elvis Presley's 'From Elvis in Memphis.' He recorded that in 1969, when Jimi Hendrix was taking off and Woodstock was happening. And it's just a very country Americana album with beautiful songs. It's got the Memphis Boys backing him. You have good taste in music. I appreciate it.
