Lester Holt to step down from 'NBC Nightly News'

Feb. 24 (UPI) -- Lester Holt announced Monday that he will end his tenure as an NBC Nightly News anchor in early summer.

"After 10 years, 17 if you include my years on the weekends, the time has come for me to step away from my role as anchor of Nightly News," he wrote in a note to his colleagues, according to Variety. "It has truly been the honor of a lifetime to work with each of you every day, keeping journalism as our true north and our viewers at the center of everything we do."

He shared that he will transition to a full-time role with Dateline, which he has anchored since 2011, allowing him to begin "expanding my footprint on the broadcast."

Holt created Nightly News: Kids Edition in 2020 and, prior to that, he was honored with the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism in 2019.

"Because of Lester's steady and thoughtful leadership Nightly News has sustained its perch as a trusted and top news destination for millions of viewers across America," said NBC News executive vice president Janelle Rodriguez. "He has led the network during some of the country's most fraught and challenging times in the past decade, most notably during the early days of the pandemic when Lester's voice was a source of comfort each night for so many."

Chuck Todd, of Meet the Press, and Hoda Kotb, of Today, also recently left their posts.

Holt's successor has not yet been named.