Tom Llamas was all business on his first night as the new anchor of the NBC Nightly News on Monday. His inaugural newscast focused largely on the top stories of the day, including an attack in Boulder, Colo. that the FBI is investigating as an act of terrorism.
Llamas waited until the very end of the broadcast to acknowledge the changing of the guard. “My thanks to all of you as we start this new adventure together,” he said. “Tonight and always, we are here for you. Thank you for watching.”
Llamas takes over from Lester Holt, who concluded his 10-year run as Nightly News anchor on May 30.
The feel and look of the newscast remained the same, as NBC News clearly aims to signal continuity rather than a refresh for its flagship evening news broadcast.
Watch the closing moments of Tom Llamas’ inaugural Nightly News as anchor below:
Originating from Studio 1A at the Rockefeller Center in New York—the same space as the Today show—the Nightly News did feature some slight changes, including Llamas being seated as opposed to standing during the opening intro, as well as darker lighting cues inside the studio.
Al Roker was present in the studio for Llamas’ first broadcast, updating viewers on the severe weather taking place across the country. The Today show veteran also noted that Llamas has “the new anchor smell.”
A new series was also introduced titled The Cost of Denial, which spotlighted the cost of healthcare and home ownership in relation to insurance coverage.
Meanwhile, the upbeat news segment featured during the final block was retitled as: “There’s Good News Tonight.”
In addition to his broadcast duties, Llamas continues to host his NBC News Now streaming show, Top Story with Tom Llamas, which also moved to Studio 1A.
Earlier in the day Llamas appeared on Today, where he shared advice given to him by Holt while recognizing the impact of being the first Latino, a son of Cuban immigrants to anchor the program,
“To know that they came here with nothing and now I’m going to anchor Nightly News… that is the American dream,” he said.