Bill Maher sits down with longtime NBC News anchor Brian Williams to discuss what happened to network news and what America lost along the way. Williams explains how newscasts became consumed with East Coast weather and light filler, and why he believes Democrats lost touch with working-class voters. Away from the anchor desk, he shares a double life few viewers knew about: nearly five decades as a volunteer firefighter in New Jersey, near-broke beginnings in Kansas, and a lifelong avoidance of alcohol after losing his brother to alcoholism. The conversation also covers meeting his wife in a television control room, tearing up at his daughter Allison Williams's first Letterman appearance, watching his son build a career in local news, and his return with Netflix's We're Back! With Brian Williams.
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Highlights
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The Fillerization of Network News
Brian Williams argues that network newscasts have become consumed with East Coast weather and silly filler like water-skiing squirrels, crowding out serious coverage.
Family Anchors: Control Room Meetings and Letterman Tears
Williams recalls meeting his wife in a television control room, tearing up at his daughter Allison's first Letterman appearance, and watching his son build his own career in local news.