NBC Nightly News: Savannah Guthrie fills in for Lester Holt, Brian Williams

How about this for a replacement to a replacement? Earlier Monday, Savannah Guthrie had the task of anchoring the NBC Nightly News, after current anchor Lester Holt needed to take time off for a family emergency. This comes after original anchor Brian Williams was placed on suspension for six months following embellished comments about his time in Iraq.

What is so important about this change at the anchor’s desk? It is something that could be yet another testing ground for NBC has they try to figure out just what their future is, should they decide to move away from Williams permanently. Through his first full week as interim anchor, Holt scored some solid ratings, though you do have to remember in the process here that they may have been buoyed by a general rise in public interest after what happened with Williams. Guthrie, meanwhile, may draw similar curiosity if Holt is out for a reasonable stretch of time.

This is not a decision that the network can make in a short period of time at all; we imagine that it will instead take many weeks to figure out what the real ratings situation is, and whether or not they feel it best to go in a slightly different direction. Just let it be known that they are going to have many options, and given the numerous shakeups at NBC News from top to bottom, we do not think that anyone is necessarily sacred to one spot. Even Guthrie, fresh off a new deal with “Today,” could be moved around.

Of course, we will have further news on this subject as it breaks.

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