Brian Williams

Brian Williams (born May 5, 1959) is the anchor and managing editor of the most watched news program in the United States, NBC Nightly News, the flagship evening news program of NBC. Williams replaced former Nightly News anchor Tom Brokaw on December 2, 2004. Previously, Williams was the network's chief correspondent at the White House and then anchor of The News with Brian Williams on CNBC and MSNBC cable networks.

Highlights

Williams was raised in Elmira, New York.
He attended Hendy Avenue Elementary.
Williams moved with his parents to Middletown, New Jersey.
He was a volunteer fireman, worked at a pancake restaurant and local Sears store.
Graduated from Mater Dei, a Roman Catholic High School in New Monmouth, NJ.
Attended George Washington University, but transferred to The Catholic University of America where he gave the commencement address in 2004.
Left college without a degree, a decision that he terms "one of my great regrets."
Williams began his broadcasting career at KOAM-TV in Pittsburg, Kansas.
Moved back to Washington, D.C.
Worked at WTTG-TV as general assignment correspondent.
Williams was hired at WCBS-TV in New York.
Won his first Emmy for his reporting of the stock market collapse.
Williams regards WNBC's Chuck Scarborough as a mentor.

WCBS

It was at WCBS-TV where Williams was discovered by national network executives. In March of 1993, Williams began work at NBC News where he climbed the ranks to his current position.

NBC Nightly News

Rise to the Throne

In the past, some viewers held the perception that Williams was stiff and lacked charisma during his broadcasts. After the announcement that he would succeed Brokaw, Williams was a guest on various television entertainment programs including The Tonight Show with Jay Leno and The Daily Show with Jon Stewart where he showed a more jovial and charismatic side of his personality.

Family

His brother David Williams died of liver faliure on May 13, 2001 leaving behind two children: Andew who lives in Arizona, and Robert who lives in Rhode Island.

His sister, Mary Jane Esser, died on February 27, 2006 leaving behind five children. He cancelled his coverage of Mardi Gras in New Orleans when he heard of the death that day. On an Nightly News episode on May 25, 2006, Campbell Brown, substitute of Williams that day honored his daughter Allison for getting her High School graduation.

Brian also has another son and the whole family lives in Connecticut.

Trivia

Replaced Maury Povich as host of locally produced Washington D.C chat show Panorama in 1985.

Worked as an intern during the administration of U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

Williams was handpicked by NBC's Tom Brokaw to take over after his retirement

Won the year 2005 in the Nielsen Ratings War

Williams is considered the dean of network news with the retirement of Brokaw and Rather, and the death of Peter Jennings

In a December 2004 interview with C-Span's Brian Lamb, Williams proclaimed that he is a longtime listener of The Rush Limbaugh Show : "I do listen to Rush. I listen to it from a radio in my office, or depending on my day, if I'm in the car, I will listen to Rush. And he will tell you I've been listening for years. I think it's my duty to listen to Rush. I think Rush has actually yet to get the credit he is due, because his audience for so many years felt they were in the wilderness of this country. No one was talking to them." ^*

Williams is known as a big Dale Earnhardt fan, even visiting Earnhardt a few times (Williams and his son Douglas were at Talladega Superspeedway in October 1999 for a race when Williams interviewed Earnhardt for his show. Douglas wanted to see the car, and Earnhardt told him he could touch the car, and Earnhardt won, so he invited both to victory lane after the race.), and hosted NBC's first live television broadcast of a NASCAR event, the 1999 Pennzoil 400 from Homestead-Miami Speedway. For many years, he drove a black Chevrolet sport-utility vehicle with an official Earnhardt sticker on the back.

On a similar note, until its closure, Williams was well-known for frequenting the Flemington (NJ) Speedway when he could.

In 2006, he was Grand Marshal for Dale Earnhardt Day, and inducted Earnhardt into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame.

Williams was the honored guest at the 2005 Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation Fall Gala. ^*

In 2005, Williams received an honorary degree from Bates College in Maine, a school his father and brother attended.

Has twice appeared on The Daily Show as a celebrity guest and interviewed by Jon Stewart.

Notable Coverage

2003 North America blackout (Anchored live coverage)
Tsunami in Asia
Death of Pope John Paul II
Hurricane Katrina
2006 Winter Olympics

External Links

NBC News Bio
The Daily Nightly - Brian Williams's blog

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