BRIAN WILLIAMS IS LEAVING NBC NEWS AT THE END OF THE YEAR:

Williams, host of MSNBC’s The 11th Hour, says the program “will remain in good hands, produced by the best team in cable news.”

While ratings have dropped off in recent months, The 11th Hour was an overall success for MSNBC. It was consistently the most-watched show on cable news in its timeslot during the Trump years, and was really an extension of Williams’ role as MSNBC’s breaking news anchor, a role he stepped into a year earlier following his removal from NBC Nightly News and a six-month suspension for telling and re-telling the made-up story of being in a helicopter that came under fire during his coverage of the Iraq War in 2003.

Williams sings the praises of NBC in his goodbye note.

“Good friends were in great supply at NBC,” said Williams. “I was fortunate that everyone I worked with made me better at my job. I’ve had the best colleagues imaginable. That includes great bosses.”

Williams is leaving NBC News, but says he isn’t leaving the business entirely.

No, I’m sure he’ll be back: