Can NBC's Tom Llamas Save Evening News?

Tom Llamas will replace Lester Holt as the anchor and managing editor of "NBC Nightly News," the network announced Wednesday. 

"Tom has the winning combination of journalistic excellence, passionate storytelling and unyielding integrity — all characteristics that have long been trademarks of ‘NBC Nightly News,’" NBC News executive vice president of programming Janelle Rodriguez wrote in a message to staff, NBC says.

 "Additionally, he’s been instrumental in growing NBC News NOW into the leading streaming news network, helping to introduce NBC News to a new generation of viewers."

TODAY -- Pictured: Tom Llamas on Monday, November 13, 2023 -- (Photo by: Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images)

Holt announced last month his plans to step down from "Nightly News" to focus on an expanding role with "Dateline."

Llamas, the long-expected successor to Holt, is a senior national correspondent and anchor of a nightly program on NBC News NOW. The company says he will retain most of his hosting duties with NOW.

At 45, Llamas provides NBC with both youth and upside. However, he is about to enter a space with a future surrounded by uncertainty. The ever-changing media landscape has often made evening news broadcasts feel obsolete.

Between cable news and social media, the number of Americans waiting to hear the news of the day for the first time at 6:30 pm ET has diminished dramatically.

Moreover, ABC’s "World News Tonight with David Muir" has separated itself from NBC and CBS in both ratings and influence. Earlier this year, CBS overhauled its evening news program by replacing Norah O'Donnell with a rotation of cheaper and obscure anchors.

Industry experts viewed the move by CBS as a punt, a concession that it's no longer wise to invest in a model in decline. Likewise, "NBC Nightly News" is not the juggernaut it was when Holt replaced Brian Williams in 2015. 

And NBC staffers feel it.

"One source who spoke with Mediaite said there is wariness inside NBC about the future of its marquee program. The ratings may still be strong, but the fragmentation of media and the breakdown of the TV news business model means the industry is more precarious than ever before," Aidan McLaughlin reported Wednesday.

Still, Llamas called anchoring "Nightly News" a "profound honor and one that carries tremendous responsibility."

"I look forward to working with the world class journalists at ‘Nightly News’ and ‘Top Story’ to bring viewers the most important stories every night," he said in a statement.

Llamas starts his new role this summer, NBC adds.