Brian Williams Suspended For 6 Months Without Pay Following Skepticism Of His Credibility
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork/AP) – NBC Nightly News Anchor and Managing Editor Brian Williams on Tuesday was ordered suspended without pay for six months, effective immediately, following questions about his credibility.
As CBS2s Tracee Carrasco reported, the decision came less than a week after Williams admitted he exaggerated his experiences covering the Iraq War.
Brian Williams Suspended For 6 Months Without Pay Following Skepticism Of His Credibility
"We felt it would have been wrong to disregard the good work Brian has done and the special relationship he has forged with our viewers over 22 years. Millions of Americans have turned to him every day, and he has been an important and well-respected part of our organization," NBC News President Deborah Turness said in a statement Tuesday night.
"By his actions, Brian has jeopardized the trust millions of Americans place in NBC News. His actions are inexcusable and this suspension is severe and appropriate. Brian's life's work is delivering the news. I know Brian loves his country, NBC News and his colleagues. He deserves a second chance and we are rooting for him," Steve Burke, President and chief executive officer of NBCUniversal, said in a statement.
Williams apologized last week for falsely claiming that he was in helicopter that had been hit by a grenade while in Iraq in 2003 a week earlier during a "Nightly News" tribute to a veteran he had befriended during his trip. Before expressing his regrets on the air, Williams did so online and in an interview with the newspaper Stars & Stripes.
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