NBC Sources: This was Not Williams' Decision

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NBC sources tell FTVLive that the decision for Brian Williams to step down as the Anchor of NBC Nightly News, was not Williams' decision.

"Brian was basically told that he is taking time off," said a NBC staffer to FTVLive.

Williams released a statement earlier today that said he was going to step away from Nightly News for "several days."

NBC insiders tell FTVLive that although they like Brian Williams, they really feel like there is no way Williams can survive this. They feel that his reputation and that of the news division are too damaged right now.

"The only way we (NBC News) recovers is if Brian resigns," said one NBC insider to FTVLive.

Some insiders feel that NBC News President Deborah Turness "doesn't have the guts" to sack Williams. "He's (Williams) number 1 in the ratings, if they fire him and lose viewers, Turness knows her neck is on the line," said the insider.

So, will Turness make the move that many inside think needs to be made?

Stay tuned...... 

BREAKING!!!!! Brian Williams to Take Time Off

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FTVLive FIRST told you on Friday that Brian Williams maybe stepping down as early as next week. He decided to do it Today.

The Embattled NBC News Anchor emailed the staff at NBC saying that he is going to take some time off.

Lester Holt will be filling in. 

Here is the text of Williams' email to the staff at NBC:

From: "NBC News Communications (NBCUniversal)" 
Date: February 7, 2015 at 4:10:10 PM EST
To: "@NBC Uni NBC News All" 
Subject: A Personal Note from Brian Williams
In the midst of a career spent covering and consuming news, it has become painfully apparent to me that I am presently too much a part of the news, due to my actions.
As Managing Editor of NBC Nightly News, I have decided to take myself off of my daily broadcast for the next several days, and Lester Holt has kindly agreed to sit in for me to allow us to adequately deal with this issue. Upon my return, I will continue my career-long effort to be worthy of the trust of those who place their trust in us.

Rosie O'Donnell to Sign Off from 'The View' Next Week

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Remember a few weeks ago when many tabloids and blogs reported that Rosie Perez was leaving ABC's 'The View' and it didn't happen.

Those people had the wrong Rosie.

Yes Rosie is leaving 'The View" but, it's Rosie O'Donnell and not Perez.

Page Six says that Rosie O’Donnell and her wife, Michelle Rounds, have split, and O’Donnell will leave “The View” next week to concentrate on her family’s well-being, Page Six can exclusively reveal.

Sources close to O’Donnell told us that she and Rounds, her wife of three years, have been living apart for months, and that O’Donnell feels she must leave the ABC daytime show to focus on her five kids.

Rosie’s rep, Cindi Berger, confirmed the marital split, as well O’Donnell’s departure from “The View,” in a statement Friday night: “I can confirm that Rosie and her wife Michelle split in November. Rosie has teens and an infant at home that need her attention. This has been a very stressful situation. She is putting her personal health and family first. ABC has been wonderfully understanding and supportive of her personal decision to leave ‘The View.’ Next week will be her last.” 

Sources: Brian Williams Could Step Down as Early as Next Week

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Sources tell FTVLive that NBC News President Deborah Turness is strongly considering having Brian Williams step down, maybe as early as next week.

As FTVLive earlier told you, Turness has launched an internal investigation in the Williams' statement regarding the events in Iraq in 2003 and other stories including what the Anchor said in his Katrina coverage.

Sources say that Turness has not yet decided what to do with Williams but is "leaning in the direction" of having him step down. 

Sources tell FTVLive that Turness has short list of replacements for Williams and the names could raise a few eyebrows. 

They are - Lester Holt, Jose Diaz Balart, and Peter Alexander.

Stay tuned.... 

Chicago Anchor's Time Lapse Video Goes Viral

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WLS Anchor Judy Hsu set up a camera as the blizzard was hitting Chicago. She ran a time lapse and posted it to Facebook.

The video has nearly 3 million views.

Here it is:

Post by Judy Hsu ABC7.

Turness Email to the NBC News Staff

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Since the BriWi Lie broke, staffers inside NBC have told FTVLive that they have been left in the dark.

Some said they were "really pissed", others said they were "scared" as to what might happen. But, all of them said that no one was talking and it was "more than frustrating" for the staff.

Today, NBC News President Deborah Turness finally addressed the situation in a memo to the staff. Unfortunately, the email did not shed much light and was really just a couple of paragraphs of blah, blah, blah.

Here is the email:

All,

This has been a difficult few days for all of us at NBC News. 

Yesterday, Brian and I spoke to the Nightly News team. And this morning at the Editorial Exchange, we both addressed the wider group. Brian apologized once again, and specifically expressed how sorry he is for the impact this has had on all of you and on this proud organization.

As you would expect, we have a team dedicated to gathering the facts to help us make sense of all that has transpired. We’re working on what the best next steps are – and when we have something to communicate we will of course share it with you.

Since joining NBC News, I’ve seen great strength and resilience. We are a close-knit family, and your response this week has made that even clearer. 

As a relentless news agenda marches on, thank you again for continuing to do what we do best – bring the most important stories of the day to our audience.

 

Deborah Turness: I'm spending ‘100 percent of my time, day and night, to sort this out

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It appears that NBC is hoping that the weekend will get here as quickly as possible in hopes to break the news cycle and all the attention on Nightly News Anchor Brian Williams.

The NY Post says that NBC News has quietly set up a “Brian Williams truth squad” to investigate his tall tales. The unit consists of a handful of producers and reporters who are initially focusing on his now-much-questioned Hurricane Katrina stories.

After there was no mention of the scandal Thursday on NBC’s morning news calls, including the 9:30 a.m. “Nightly News” call, Williams turned up in person Friday morning to apologize to the news division.

A source tells us, “Brian doesn’t usually come into the office until the afternoon, but he was here this morning in person at the 9 a.m. meeting and call. He told everyone, ‘This one’s on me,’ but the apology still seemed rather half-assed. NBC News president Deborah Turness told the group that she’s spending ‘100 percent of her time, day and night, to sort this out.’”

Insiders at NBC said there is anger toward Williams because he had been unwilling to fully take the blame. When he was writing his Wednesday night apology aired on “Nightly News,” sources say, Williams wanted the script to say “a bungled attempt by us,” but the staff revolted and insisted it be changed to “a bungled attempt by me” right before the broadcast went on the air.

The unit is being headed by Richie Esposito, a former New York Post police reporter.

Sources tell FTVLive that NBC brass is hoping that the Weekend will break the news cycle and the heat will be off, or at least turned down Williams by next week.

Good luck with that. 

What is not good, you're in the middle of a crucial rating period and the News Boss of NBC has devoted 100% of her time to this.

Just saying..... 

Tom Brokaw: ""I have neither demanded nor suggested Brian be fired"

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This morning, FTVLive told you about a story in the NY Post that claimed that former NBC News Anchor Tom Brokaw wanted NBC to fire Brian Williams over his lie about being shot down in Iraq in 2003.

CNN Media Critic Brian Stelter claimed that his NBC sources backed up the Post story and that  Brokaw is "furious" over the incident.

In an email to the Huffington Post, Tom Brokaw said that both the Post and Stelter were wrong with their reports.

"I have neither demanded nor suggested Brian be fired," Brokaw said in his email. "His future is up to Brian and NBC News executives."

Looks like the Brian's (Williams and Stelter) are having a bad week.

Just saying.... 

Pilot and CNN Backtrack on Brian Williams Story

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Media Critic Brian Stelter was all over CNN's air yesterday talking about how he talked to the pilot that flew Brian Williams in 2003. Stelter claimed that the pilot said that the chopper did come under small arms fire (although not and RPG) and was following the chopper that was hit.

A number of other military strongly disagreed with the pilot's recollection of the events and said it was wrong. Steleter continued to report the story the pilot told him. 

It was a story that at least gave Brian Williams some wiggle room in his fabricated story.

But, now Stelter says the pilot has backtracked from his story and so now is CNN.

"That pilot, Rich Krell, told me he was flying the helicopter Williams was on in Iraq -- an account now contradicted by several other soldiers," Stelter wrote on CNN's website.

Stelter says that this morning Krell told him,  "the information I gave you was true based on my memories, but at this point I am questioning my memories." 

Stelter then writes, "This week, I've been urging Brian Williams to be fully transparent about what happened on his embed in Iraq and about why his story evolved over the years."

Why Brian Williams would care or take advice from Stelter is beyond us, but Stelter must think he's Williams PR team or his Dad.

Stelter ends his story with, "What initially looked like an account that supported some of Brian Williams' war story -- that he came "under fire" that day -- no longer appears to be true."

And Brian Stelter's big scoop that he talked about all day yesterday just got shot down. No word if it was an RPG that did the damage. 

NY Post: Tom Brokaw wants Brian Williams Fired

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The New York Post says that Tom Brokaw is not happy with Brian Williams tall Iraq tale and the former Anchor wants Williams to be shown the door.

The Post writes, you know you’re in trouble when Tom Brokaw is out for your blood.

NBC’s most revered journalist is furious that Brian Williams is still in the anchor chair after he sheepishly admitted he hadn’t traveled on a helicopter hit by enemy fire.

“Brokaw wants Williams’ head on a platter,” an NBC source said. “He is making a lot of noise at NBC that a lesser journalist or producer would have been immediately fired or suspended for a false report.”

Brokaw, 74, was still the “Nightly News” anchor when Williams came back from his Iraq expedition — and an insider said he knew the story Williams later spouted was bunk.

“Tom Brokaw and [former NBC News President] Steve Capus knew this was a false story for a long time and have been extremely uncomfortable with it,” the source said.

NBC News execs had counseled him to stop telling the tale.

Williams still took the anchor’s seat for his “Nightly News” broadcast Thursday evening — and was working at 30 Rock all day despite calls for his dismissal. He didn’t address the issue during the broadcast.

“He is not going to be suspended or reprimanded in any way. He has the full support of NBC News,” a network source said.

Here is the front page of Today's NY Post:

Did Brian Williams Lie About Katrina as Well?

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Now that NBC Anchor Brian Williams has been caught in a lie, other stories that Williams covered become suspect as well. 

In an interview with Michael Eisner, Williams talk ed about his experience covering Katrina.

“When you look out of your hotel room window in the French Quarter and watch a man float by face down, when you see bodies that you last saw in Banda Aceh in Indonesia and swore to yourself that you would never see in your country,” Williams said. “I beat that storm. I was there before it arrived. I rode it out with people who later died in the Superdome.”

Hot Air writes it’s a harrowing, traumatic tale, and it might be true. No doubt, bodies did float down the streets of New Orleans. People did die while awaiting help from local, state, and federal authorities in the Superdome. 

But did Williams actually see bodies floating down the street from his hotel in the French Quarter? Well, it’s possible, but reports from the period shed some doubt on this claim. 

Reporting from  The Times-Picayune, Fox News, and The New York Times all state clearly that the French Quarter was not flooded in the same way that other areas of the city, like the Lower Ninth Ward, were inundated. 

Even during the height of the crisis, The Times described the French Quarter as an “oasis of wary calm” amid an escalating crisis. “Outside, the Quarter’s elegant 150-year-old buildings look relatively unruffled, except for some loosened bricks, having been spared the worst of Hurricane Katrina’s winds and sitting high enough to have avoided the flooding,” the report read. 

Now, perhaps Williams was thinking of another area of the city that was more heavily flooded when he recalled bodies floating down the streets. Maybe there is no discrepancy here at all, and Williams recalled seeing more flooding than was officially recorded. Who knows? But the fact that these and perhaps more episodes from Williams’ past are now suspect and will be revisited is an indication of the scope of the credibility problem with which NBC and the Nightly News are now contending.

Here is Williams talking about his Katrina experience:

Embattled NBC anchor Brian Williams claimed in a 2006 interview with Michael Eisner that someone he had met during Katrina later died. Williams also claims that a body was floating by his hotel room in the French quarter.

MSNBC All but Ignores BriWi Story, CNN Piles on

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When it came to the Brian Williams lying story, the cable nets took different approaches to covering the news.

As expected, MSNBC barely touched the story. Their AM show Morning Joe never mentioned Williams at all. The first mention of the story on MSNBC wasn't until 11AM when MSNBC Anchor Jose Diaz-Balart played William’s apology before a commercial break.

Fox News mentioned the story a few times throughout the day, but did not spend much time on it. Megyn Kelly discussed the story during her 9 p.m. show with media clown Howard Kurtz. Kelly came to the partial defense of Williams, characterizing the long-evolving tale as an “innocent mistake.” “It may be an honest mistake,” Kurtz replied, “but it’s an inexplicable one.”

CNN, home to Brian Williams old boss Jeff Zucker piled on the most. CNN's Brian Stelter, who barely touched the Fareed Zakaria plagiarism story (Zakaria works for CNN) was all over every CNN platform on the Williams' story.

Stelter posted a number of stories on the CNN website and appeared on a number off CNN shows throughout the day discussing the story and the fate and future of Brian Williams. 

Stelter was back on New Day this morning talking about the Williams story. 

CNN always seems to be quick to pile on the other guys, but never seem to do it when it involves one of their own. 

H/T Mediaite

Dan Rather Comes to BriWi's Defense

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When NBC's Brian Williams got caught in a lie and had to fess up, many in the broadcast industry quickly turned their back on Williams.

But one former network anchor that has had problems with telling the truth in the past, came to BriLie's....errrrrr BriWi's defense.

Former CBS Anchor Dan Rather said that he supports Williams and is a good guy.

“I don’t know the particulars about that day in Iraq,” Rather told Politico. “I do know Brian. He’s a longtime friend and we have been in a number of war zones and on the same battlefields, competing but together. Brian is an honest decent man, an excellent reporter and anchor–and a brave one. I can attest that — like his predecessor Tom Brokaw — he is a superb pro, and a gutsy one.”

Not sure how much having Dan Rather in his corner is going to help Brian Williams, but hey, at least Rather did have Brian's 6.