NBC’s new primetime newsmagazine, “Rock Center with Brian Williams,” finally has a premiere date. The newsmag will debut on NBC Monday, October 31 at 10 PM.
That is the timeslot currently occupied by “The Playboy Club,” so that program will either likely be canceled, moved to another night or skipped that week. No word yet on whether the time period will become its permanent home on the network. Update: Well that was quick, NBC has confirmed that “Playboy Club” has been canceled, so “Rock Center” will get the timeslot til at least midseason.
Correspondents for the program have been busy filing reports for the program over the last few weeks, with Harry Smith saying last week that the program could debut “in early October.” It may have been ready to go early in the month, but having it debut later gives NBC more of an opportunity to promote the series.
“‘Rock Center’ will cover a slightly different world than anything else on television,” said Williams in a statement. “The format will be good, real, hard journalism – and then some. We intend to be the new home of quality journalism on a weekly basis, and on the web at all times.”
More information, after the jump.
ROCK CENTER WITH BRIAN WILLIAMS” TO DEBUT MONDAY, OCTOBER 31 AT 10PM ET
October 4, 2011 – New York, NY – The highly anticipated NBC News primetime newsmagazine “Rock Center with Brian Williams” will debut on Monday, October 31st at 10pm ET. The announcement was made today by Steve Capus, President of NBC News and Robert Greenblatt, Chairman of NBC Entertainment.
“Rock Center” is the first new primetime broadcast launched by NBC News in nearly 20 years, and it will draw on the unparalleled strength of America’s premiere news organization. Led by “NBC Nightly News” anchor and managing editor Brian Williams, the innovative newsmagazine will feature Harry Smith, Kate Snow and other award-winning correspondents and anchors of NBC News, including Meredith Vieira, Dr. Nancy Snyderman, Richard Engel, Matt Lauer and Ann Curry.
“Brian Williams already anchors America’s most watched, honored and respected nightly news broadcast. ‘Rock Center’ now gives him, and our all-star cast of journalists an opportunity to take viewers on a weekly journey of discovery,” said Capus. “Smart, original and occasionally irreverent, we hope it will become a destination for viewers looking for something special.”
“There’s no one more enlightening or personable in the news business than Brian Williams,” said Greenblatt. “We welcome Brian and this fresh new take on a primetime news show to our schedule, especially as we head into an election year.”
“‘Rock Center’ will cover a slightly different world than anything else on television,” said Williams. “The format will be good, real, hard journalism – and then some. We intend to be the new home of quality journalism on a weekly basis, and on the web at all times.”
Broadcast live from the historic Studio 3B in Rockefeller Center, the weekly, hour-long newsmagazine will be built around the week’s most provocative events, compelling coverage, and newsmaker interviews. In this new venue, Williams and NBC’s trusted global news division will take viewers deeper into the world’s most talked-about stories — and raise the curtain on stories begging to be told.
In addition to the weekly primetime broadcast, there will be constantly evolving digital editions of “Rock Center with Brian Williams” available online at RockCenterNBC.com and via the show’s iPad app.