The television news landscape is going through some significant changes.
In recent months, almost a dozen high-profile anchors and television hosts have stepped away from their gigs at major networks, including CBS, NBC, MSNBC, Fox News and CNN.
The latest shakeup occurred at MSNBC, which confirmed Monday that Joy Reid is exiting the network and that her show has been canceled. Hours earlier, NBC announced that Lester Holt is signing off at “NBC Nightly News” after a decade on the air, a month after a competing nightly news anchor also left her role.
Anthony Adornato, chair of broadcast and digital journalism at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School of Public Communications, previously told USA TODAY that news organizations are now putting “less of an emphasis on those big-name anchors who are making a ton of money” as news consumption habits change and younger audiences engage with non-traditional content.
Here’s a look at all the TV anchors and hosts who have recently left their roles.
Lester Holt
Lester Holt attends the TIME 100 gala on April 23, 2019, in New York City.
In a memo to staff on Monday, Lester Holt confirmed he will exit as anchor of “NBC Nightly News,” a position he has held since 2015. But Holt said he would remain at NBC and move into a full-time role as anchor for “Dateline.”
“A smile comes to my face when I think that with ‘Nightly News,’ and ‘Dateline,’ I have now anchored two of the most successful and iconic television news programs in broadcast history,” Holt said. “As a 20-year-old radio reporter on the police beat chasing breaking news around San Francisco, I could never have imagined my career path would unfold in the way it has. What an amazing ride.”
Holt will continue anchoring “NBC Nightly News” until early summer.
Joy Reid
Joy Reid speaks during the ESSENCE Festival on July 7, 2024, in New Orleans.
MSNBC on Monday announced numerous changes to its lineup, which included the cancellation of Joy Reid’s show “The ReidOut.” Reid, who had hosted shows at the network for over a decade, also left MSNBC.
The network said that Reid’s 7 p.m. time slot would, for the time being, be filled by a rotating series of anchors before being replaced by a show anchored by Symone Sanders-Townsend, Michael Steele and Alicia Menendez.
Joy Reid leaving MSNBC as her show is canceled
Chuck Todd
Chuck Todd attends a screening of “Oppenheimer” on July 15, 2023, in New York City.
Chief political analyst and former “Meet The Press” moderator Chuck Todd announced in January that he would leave NBC News.
“There’s never a perfect time to leave a place that’s been a professional home for so long, but I’m pretty excited about a few new projects that are on the cusp of going from ‘pie in the sky’ to ‘near reality,'” he said in a memo to staff. “So I’m grateful for the chance to get a jump start on my next chapter during this important moment.”
He went on to say, “I leave feeling concerned about this moment in history but reassured by the standards I and others at NBC have worked so hard to set.”
Jim Acosta
Jim Acosta arrives at U.S. District Court on November 16, 2018, in Washington, DC.
CNN chief domestic correspondent Jim Acosta announced his exit from the network on the air in January. He told viewers that “after giving all of this some careful consideration and weighing an alternative time slot CNN offered me, I have decided to move on.”
Acosta, who had been with CNN since 2007 and was known as a critic of President Donald Trump, also said in his farewell message, “It is never a good time to bow down to a tyrant. I have always believed it’s the job of the press to hold power to account.”
Norah O’Donnell
Norah O’Donnell attends the White House Correspondents’ dinner on April 29, 2023.
Norah O’Donnell signed off as anchor of “CBS Evening News” in January. She previously announced in the summer that she would leave her role after the presidential election but would remain a contributor at CBS.
“I have spent 12 years in the anchor chair here at CBS News, connected to a daily broadcast and the rigors of a relentless news cycle,” she said in July. “It’s time to do something different.
“This presidential election will be my seventh as a journalist, and for many of us in this business, we tend to look at our careers in terms of these milestone events.”
Hoda Kotb
Hoda Kotb attends the Broadcasting + Cable Hall of Fame Gala on May 3, 2023, in New York City.
Hoda Kotb officially left the “Today” show in January after announcing her exit in September.
Kotb said that when she turned 60 last year, she realized it was “time for me to turn the page” and “try something new,” adding that her kids deserve a “bigger piece of my time pie.” Kotb had served as “Today” co-anchor with Savannah Guthrie since 2018 after Matt Lauer’s was fired due to sexual misconduct allegations. She also hosted the show’s fourth hour since 2007.
Kotb was replaced on the “Today” show by Craig Melvin.
Neil Cavuto
Neil Cavuto confirmed his exit from Fox News in December.
Neil Cavuto announced in December he would leave Fox News after almost three decades. Cavuto, who had been with the network since its 1996 launch, anchored “Your World” at 4 p.m on weekdays.
At the time, a source familiar with the situation but unauthorized to speak publicly told USA TODAY that Cavuto’s contract was up at the end of 2024. The source also cited an “evolving” news business that has led to salary cuts across the industry.
Alisyn Camerota
Alisyn Camerota attends the CNN Heroes: All-Star Tribute on Dec 12, 2021, in New York City.
CNN anchor Alisyn Camerota announced her exit from the network in December. She joined CNN in 2014 and formerly served as anchor of the “New Day” morning show.
In her final broadcast, Camerota said it had been “an honor to have been in your homes this past decade through some of the biggest stories of our lifetimes,” adding, “I’m always touched when a viewer comes up and tells me that I helped them get through these challenging times.”
Norah O’Donnell signs off, Hoda Kotb’s out: ‘God-like days’ are over for big name anchors
Chris Wallace
Chris Wallace moderates a debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden on Sept. 29, 2020.
Days after the 2024 presidential election, Chris Wallace confirmed he would exit CNN after more than two years. He joined the network after almost two decades at Fox News. Wallace told The Daily Beast he planned to move to streaming or podcasting.
“We want to thank him for the dedication and wisdom he’s brought to all his work at CNN and to wish him the very best for the future,” CNN CEO Mark Thompson said.
Andrea Mitchell
Andrea Mitchell attends the “Mostly What God Does” book presentation on Feb. 21, 2024, in New York City.
Andrea Mitchell announced in October that she would end her MSNBC show “Andrea Mitchell Reports,” which she had hosted since 2008. She remained a chief foreign affairs correspondent and chief Washington correspondent for NBC News.
“As we prepare to cover a new administration, Andrea’s expertise and reporting are more needed than ever,” NBC News leaders said in a staff memo at the time. “Please join us in congratulating Andrea on 16 years at the anchor desk at MSNBC and for her continued work with NBC News as we prepare to cover this historic election.”
Jorge Ramos
Jorge Ramos speaks onstage at Univision’s Premios Juventud on July 16, 2015, in Miami.
In September, “Noticiero Univision” co-host Jorge Ramos announced his exit from Univision after 40 years. He continued anchoring “Noticiero Univision” through December.
“I am deeply grateful for these four decades at Univision and very proud to be part of a team that has established strong leadership over the years,” he said. Ahead of his final broadcast, Ramos posted on X, “It’s been quite a ride. So grateful.”
Contributing: Jay Stahl, Taijuan Moorman
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lester Holt, Joy Reid and more TV news departures
