NBC “Nightly News” anchor Lester Holt may retire next year — and his future successor, Tom Llamas, is “eagerly awaiting” his exit, which resembles a “slow motion coup” at 30 Rock. According to one report.
Holt, who is reportedly earning a whopping salary of around $10 million per year, has been anchoring “Nightly News” since 2015, when he replaced Brian WilliamsWho was removed from his post and reassigned to MSNBC fabricated stories of coming under enemy fire Reporting from Afghanistan.
In 2021, Lamas was named senior national correspondent for NBC News as well as prime time anchor of the newscast streamed on NBC News Now. Since then, rumors have swirled that Lamas was hired to replace Holt, sources told The Post.
according to The Uncler NewsletterHigher-ups at NBC’s parent company Comcast will be happy to see Holt hang up his microphone, as Lamas, his likely eventual replacement, earns a relatively modest salary of about $2.5 million per year.
In 2021, Holt, 65, signed a four-year deal to remain at NBC News. In those days, Page Six reported that Holt insisted on getting The post of managing editor was to fend off a perceived threat from Lamas, who had joined the network after a stint as weekend host of ABC’s “World News Tonight.”
Lamas, 45, is considered close to Cesar Conde, who heads NBC’s news division. A source told Page Six in 2021 that Lamas was “obviously being groomed for a bigger role” and that Holt “negotiated a bigger title to avert the threat.”
The post sought comment from NBC.
Earlier this week, Comcast said it was considering spinning off its cable networks, including CNBC and MSNBC, into a separate company.
The potential spin-off would not involve the NBC broadcast network and the Peacock streaming service.
However, the company Peacock is interested in finding a partner to help grow that businessComcast President Mike Cavanagh said Thursday.
Comcast shares have been flat year-to-date, although the stock is up more than 14% over the past six months.
Media companies are willing to cut the salaries of top TV news stars as viewership declines in the age of cord-cutting and podcasts.
Hoda Kotb, co-host of NBC’s “Today” show, announced that she would rather retire than accept management’s offer of a pay cut from her current salary.
Variety reported His annual salary is between $10 million and $15 million, although a source told The Post it was significantly lower.
Comcast is also cutting costs at NBC’s entertainment division. It got rid of the “Late Night with Seth Meyers” band and it reduced the frequency of “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” from five nights a week to four nights.
NBC’s rival CBS is also cutting costs. Norah O’Donnell, whose salaries were cut by about $8 million a year in recent years In 2021, he will step down as anchor of the CBS Evening News after Tuesday’s election. In favor of John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois.
Last month, The Uncle reported that CNN Veteran anchor Jake Tapper was denied a raise. And Wolf Blitzer.
Former Fox News anchor Chris Wallace has reportedly been asked to take a pay cut by new CNN boss Mark Thompson.
However, sources put Tapper’s salary at around $7 million Puck NewsletterSaid the anchor earns “millions more” than this. Meanwhile, Blitzer’s salary is reportedly closer to $3 million.
Alexandra Stegrad contributed reporting.
with post wire
