NBC suspend news anchor Brian Williams

Brian Williams has been suspended by the NBC network following an internal review over reporting discrepancies which emerged last month.

Once the most trusted name in news in America, Brian Williams faces an uncertain future in that medium as NBC takes drastic action following a number of accusations. In January, Williams retold a story about surviving a helicopter incident when it was hit by a rocket propelled grenade while reporting on the Iraq War.

It later transpired that Williams was not on that plane, in fact he was on another plane which was following and was not caught up in the incident. Following an internal investigation, NBC announced on Tuesday that Brian Williams has been suspended for six months, without pay. NBC News President, Deborah Turness said Williams had been notified earlier in the day and that Lester Holt would act as substitute anchor in that period.

“As I’m sure you understand, this was a very hard decision. Certainly there will be those who disagree. But we believe this suspension is the appropriate and proportionate action.” – Deborah Turness, NBC President

NBC reports that the investigation is still ongoing as questions are raised about several reports, including his award-winning reporting on Hurricane Katrina. Williams took over the role as Nightly News anchor in December 2004, taking over from Tom Brokaw. NBC Nightly News is often the most watched evening newscast in America.