Here’s where having a cable news channel can help your broadcast network anchor get on the air first.

NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams and his team arrived in quake-ravaged Port-au-Prince, Haiti around 2:45pmET. Minutes later he was patched into the MSNBC control room and reported live by phone — the first broadcast network anchor to do so — with anchor Contessa Brewer about what he’d seen flying in.

Williams reports help is already on the way. “The vessels are starting to gather. We saw some vessels with coast guard markings offshore. U.N. aircraft are also starting to arrive. I saw several helicopters and fixed wing aircraft, also some aircraft with U.S. Coast Guard markings in the final approach into Port-au-Prince, the major airport.”

TVNewser has learned Williams was on the line with NBC News president Steve Capus and his executive team for the last hour of their descent into Port-au-Prince describing the devastation and discussing coverage plans. As we reported earlier, “Nightly News”, as well as the “CBS Evening News with Katie Couric” and ABC “World News with Diane Sawyer” will all go one hour tonight.

Williams clip from MSNBC after the jump…