Anchor Brian Williams to depart NBC after 28 years

Nov. 9 (UPI) -- NBC News and MSNBC anchor Brian Williams announced Tuesday he will depart the company at the end of the year.

MSNBC president Rashida Jones announced Williams' departure saying he would leave the network to "spend time with his family," ending his tenure marked by "countless" major stories and attracting top journalists to his programs.

"Following much reflection and after 28 years with the company, I have decided to leave NBC upon the completion of my current contract in December," Williams, 62, wrote.

In a farewell message to colleagues, Williams reflected on the "28 years, 38 countries, eight Olympic games, seven presidential elections, half a dozen presidents, a few wars and one SNL," that made up his career.

"Good friends were in great supply at NBC. I was fortunate that everyone I worked with made me better at my job," Williams wrote.

CNN Business reported that Williams' contract was set to expire later this year and that he wanted to move out from the late-night slot as the host of The 11th Hour.

Williams, who served as anchor of Nightly News beginning in 2004, was suspended for six months in February 2015 after admitting he incorrectly stated on several occasions that he was in a helicopter that was shot down in Iraq in 2003, when it was actually a helicopter near the one he was in.

Upon returning from the suspension he moved to MSNBC and eventually launched The 11th Hour, an end-of-the-day newscast airing at 11 p.m.

"My return years later was my choice, as was launching The 11th Hour that I'm as proud of as the decade I spent anchoring Nightly News," he said.

Williams did not announce future career plans but said he would "pop up again somewhere," noting he had many things he hoped to do.