Brian Williams: ‘I’ll never walk away because of complaints about the job’

By Chris Ariens on May 9, 2011 4:28 PM

NBC’s Brian Williams — and his ballooning frequent flier tally — is profiled by the AP’s David Bauder today. From London, and back again, to Alabama, Washington, DC and a quiet Sunday night at home interrupted by the death of Osama Bin Laden; an appearance on David Letterman and hosting Charlie Rose, — oh, and it was his birthday last week — all while the three-network evening news landscape is undergoing another change.

His omnipresence illustrated the challenge facing [Scott] Pelley when he begins as “CBS Evening News” anchor on June 6. The Williams-anchored “Nightly News” on NBC clearly sets the standard in popularity, and although ABC’s Diane Sawyer has shown positive movement with “World News,” it’s not a consistent threat.

With one anchor after another leaving their high-profile jobs these days, how long will Brian Williams be in the chair?

Writes Bauder:

Still riding high in the ratings, an achievement considering the collapse of NBC entertainment around him, and now the dean of network evening news anchors, there’s a good chance Williams has his job for as long as he wants it.

“I’ll never walk away because of complaints about the job,” he said. “My wife is under orders to know when it’s time and to yank me firmly from the stage. She will know.”