WMAQ, the NBC station in Chicago, has switched up its anchor lineup—and a big name is coming home.
WNBC anchor Stefan Holt—who is the son of NBC Nightly News anchor Lester Holt—is heading back to the Windy City in early October to anchor the station’s 4 and 10 p.m. shows on weekdays. He’ll join Marion Brooks and Allison Rosati.
“I will be forever grateful for my time in New York. Anchoring alongside some of the best in our industry and during one of the most tumultuous times in our history has been a privilege and a highlight of my career. Thank you to all of my friends at WNBC and our tri-state area viewers for your support and trust over the past few years,” said Holt. “Chicago is the city where I grew up and where my wife and I want to raise our two boys. I couldn’t be more excited to return to my roots and reunite with my teammates at NBC 5.”
The current 10 p.m. anchor, Robert Stafford, will move to the 5 and 6 p.m. shows on weekdays and will devote more time to the I-Team.
“These moves allow us to welcome back a very talented anchor and boost our investigative team with a skilled investigative journalist at time when investigative journalism is needed now more than ever,” said Frank Whittaker, station manager and vp of news, NBC 5 Chicago.
Stafford has more 30 years of experience in local and national investigative journalism. He started in 2007 as an anchor. Before that, he was a correspondent for NBC’s award-winning news magazine, Dateline.
In 2016, Holt joined WNBC in New York, where he anchored the station’s weekday afternoon and evening newscasts. He was previously at WPBF in West Palm Beach, Fla.