Lester Holt to step down as the anchor of NBC’s flagship ‘Nightly News’ program

NEW YORK (AP) - NBC’s veteran Lester Holt will step down as anchor of the network’s flagship "Nightly News" broadcast.

Holt, who has been been the face of "Nightly News" for a decade, will remain at NBC. In a note to staff Monday, he said he would be expanding his work on NBC’s "Dateline,” taking on a full-time role.

The transition is expected to take place early this summer. No firm date or successor for "NBC Nightly News" has been named yet.

"After 10 years, 17 if you include my years on the weekends, the time has come for me to step away from my role as anchor of Nightly News," Holt wrote on Monday, while thanking colleagues. "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."

Janelle Rodriguez, executive vice president of NBC News Programming, applauded Holt’s legacy at "Nightly News" and reiterated that the anchor will stay at NBC "for years to come."

"Quite simply, Lester is the beating heart of this news organization," Rodriguez wrote.

Holt joined NBC back in 2000. He became the permanent anchor of “Nightly News" in June 2015 - after anchoring weekend editions for eight years - and has been the principal anchor of "Dateline" since September 2011, per NBC.