Veteran anchor and host of CNBC and NBC News Brian Williams announced that he would be leaving the outlet by the end of the year. His five year contract with CNBC for The 11th Hour, a popular show on CNBC is set to expire. The show on CNBC is a combination of news and conversations about the news with guests and others.

In his farewell with colleagues the veteran host looked back fondly at his “28 years, 38 countries, 8 Olympic games, 7 Presidential elections, half a dozen Presidents, a few wars and one SNL.” He also expressed his gratitude to the outlet and his colleagues.

The 61-year old anchor had joined NBC News almost three decades ago in 1993. He was a successful anchor for more than two decades of the popular “NBC Nightly News.” He broke stories with other anchors on the news shows but was brought down as he exaggerated a helicopter ride he took in Iraq. He narrated the anecdote with different twists and turns, which lead to an investigation about its veracity.

In 2015, Williams was suspended by NBC News for the inaccurate story he told. He said that his helicopter was hit by a rocket propelled grenade. He later admitted on air that he had “made a mistake in recalling the events of 12 years ago.

He was suspended in 2015 for six months. He made a comeback in his career as he moved to MSNBC after the suspension and hosted the popular show “The 11th Hour.” He asked his loyal viewing audience to continue to remain loyal after his departure as the program would remain in good hands.

Although he did not announce future plans, he did say that he would “pop up again somewhere.” Rashida Jones, the president of MSNBC wrote a staff note where she said that he would be spending time with family and that they and their viewers would “miss his penetrating questions and thoughtful commentary.”

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