Brian Williams

NBC anchor Tom Brokaw announced yesterday that he will step down after the November 2004 presidential elections, and he will be succeeded by the man long presumed to be his heir - Brian Williams, the anchor for sister station MSNBC. As recently as last summer, Brokaw mused publicly about how long he would stay in the television news business; he also took a 10-week vacation, further stoking speculation that he might be poised to leave the field altogether. Because he has helped to establish NBC Nightly News at the top of the ratings, his departure has not been hastened by the network.

A federal judge sentenced a Pennsylvania man to 10 years in prison for making videos of boys using urinals at two I-95 Cecil and Harford county rest stops last May. Brian Matthew Williams, 28, loitered at the Maryland House and Chesapeake House rest stops for five hours last May filming boys on his cell phone from an adjacent urinal, authorities said. After taking the video, he would follow them out and take full length photos of them. He made 21 videos in all. The parents of one of the victims reported Williams' suspicious actions and he was arrested by Maryland State Police.

NBA games lost yesterday: 3.Total games missed: 240.Earliest estimated date season can start: Jan. 8.Projected player salary losses (through Jan. 8): $390 million.Negotiations: Nothing scheduled.Today's best canceled game: Detroit at L.A. Clippers. The Pistons' Bison Dele, formerly known as Brian Williams, returns to the arena where he endured the 1995-96 season as a member of the Clippers.Pub Date: 12/08/98

Chelsea Clinton did her second report for NBC's "Rock Center with Brian Williams" Wednesday night, and it was just as flawed as the first. The learning curve does not appear to have bent one degree in the direction of growth. This one-dimensional, under-reported, naive celebration of a charter school in Rhode Island was just as much of an empty-headed puff job as Clinton's first report on an after-school program in Little Rock. And before you take to your computer to send an email telling me how mean it is for me to criticize this 31-year-old woman who has been given educational and workplace advantages generally belonging to the elite 1 percent we have been hearing so much about in recent months, let me say my criticism is not primarily directed at Clinton, but rather at NBC News, It knows the difference between jounalism and the silly crap she is doing.

Basketball Bulls: Activated G Corey Benjamin and C Jake Voskuhl. Placed G Bryce Drew and C Brad Miller on injured list. Celtics: Placed G Randy Brown and F Jerome Moiso on injured list. Activated G Chris Herren and F Walter McCarty. Warriors: Placed G Vonteego Cummings on injured list with fractured right cheek. Football Jaguars: Waived OT Reggie Nelson. Signed CB Shad Criss. Packers: Placed DE Vonnie Holiday, RB Dorsey Levens, LB Brian Williams and OT Earl Dotson on inactive list.

Former NBA player Bison Dele is among those missing at sea under "suspicious circumstances," his mother said. Dele, who played one season at Maryland (1987-88) under his former name of Brian Williams; his girlfriend, Serena Karlan; and a three-person crew haven't been heard from in more than a month after setting sail to Honolulu from Tahiti, said Patricia Phillips, Dele's mother, and Scott Ohlgren, Karlan's stepfather. Meantime, police in Phoenix have questioned Dele's brother, Miles, in connection with the attempted identity theft of Brian Williams, Ohlgren and Phillips said.

Opponent: Denver NuggetsSite: McNichols Sports Arena, DenverTime: 9TV: NoneRadio: WXZL (103.1 FM), WTEM (570 AM)Outlook: The Bullets lost to Portland, 122-104, Friday night despite Tom Gugliotta's season-high 32 points. Denver, in fourth place in the Midwest Division, lost to Sacramento, 115-103, Friday. G Robert Pack (9.5 ppg, 5.4 apg) led the Nuggets with a season-high 24 points, and F Brian Williams (8.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg) had 16 points and 17 rebounds.@

Since others like Mediaite and Eric Wemple in the Washington Post have commented on my denunciation of NBC News on CNN's "Reliable Sources" Sunday for hiring the woefully unqualified Chelsea Clinton as a special correspondent, I guess I better explain how I really feel. I was only warming up in denouncing this inside job among the elite one-percenters when I said: "At a time when young people who have played by the rules, who have gone to college, who have worked hard are camping out in American cities because the system has failed them in terms of providing jobs, to then take another member of that elite - the 1 percent - and give them one of those jobs is really a dispiriting message to the people in this country...

Orlando Magic forward Brian Williams, who collapsed Aug. 11 during a summer-league game in Redondo Beach, Calif., doesn't appear to be suffering from any major heart problems, a medical consultant to the Magic said Wednesday.Dr. Kerry Schwartz, a member of the Florida Heart Group, said tests administered in California indicate Williams' heart isn't damaged."There are no major valve problems, no coronary artery obstructions," Schwartz said. "I would say his prognosis is good. I certainly think he will be able to [resume]

NEW YORK -- Diane Sawyer had an 80 percent "favorable" rating. Star Jones Reynolds, meanwhile, had one of the lowest ratings. Sawyer is America's favorite news or talk personality, according to a Gallup Poll released Tuesday. Eighty percent of the respondents rated Sawyer "favorable," while only 11 percent labeled her "unfavorable." Sawyer's tally puts her ahead of her colleague and former Good Morning America co-host Charlie Gibson, who slides in at No. 2, followed by NBC's Matt Lauer and Dan Rather (who doesn't even have a job in network news anymore)

I was going to be nice and NOT write about the NBC newsmagazine "Rock Center" moving to 9 p.m. tonight after a failed run at 10 Mondays with Brian Williams at the helm. But then, NBC News sent out a press release calling special correspondent Chelsea Clinton and the rest of the newsmagazine team "the Cooperstown of NBC News. " Remember the quote about Clinton having "prepared all her life" for this job? More on that in a second. How failed has this Brian Williams ego trip been so far?

Since others like Mediaite and Eric Wemple in the Washington Post have commented on my denunciation of NBC News on CNN's "Reliable Sources" Sunday for hiring the woefully unqualified Chelsea Clinton as a special correspondent, I guess I better explain how I really feel. I was only warming up in denouncing this inside job among the elite one-percenters when I said: "At a time when young people who have played by the rules, who have gone to college, who have worked hard are camping out in American cities because the system has failed them in terms of providing jobs, to then take another member of that elite - the 1 percent - and give them one of those jobs is really a dispiriting message to the people in this country...

Heading into a game against No. 1 Kansas on Sunday, Tennessee knows it needs every ounce of talent from every player. Now the Volunteers are down to six scholarship players because four were suspended indefinitely after being charged with gun possession. A police report included officers saying they smelled marijuana coming from a car and saw an open container of alcohol during a traffic stop just hours after the team defeated Memphis on Thursday. Senior forward Tyler Smith will be missed the most.

As much as we talk and write about the power of the Internet, it is easy to forget that nothing focuses the nation's attention on a topic or event like TV - particularly the combined gaze of cameras from the major networks of ABC, NBC and CBS. That's the case tonight when the networks and a huge group of Hollywood A-listers present Stand Up to Cancer. All three network news anchors - Katie Couric, Charles Gibson and Brian Williams - will be reporting stories on medical advances and efforts.

From the beginning, Katie Couric's philosophy about her new post was clear. "I didn't come here to do a traditional newscast, and I don't think CBS hired me to do a traditional newscast," she told Reader's Digest in February. But a year after assuming the venerable anchor desk of CBS Evening News, that's exactly what Couric finds herself doing, while the news executives who ardently wooed her from NBC's Today show have glumly relinquished their hopes of turning a new audience on to an aging genre.

The battle between network and cable news shows this year moved to a new front -- the blogosphere. From CBS' promise of a two-way continuing dialogue between Katie Couric and her fans to NBC's vow that through blogging Brian Williams would offer a window into the editorial process, these fledgling entities mark cable and network efforts to transform themselves into members of the new media. As with an evening newscast, news Web logs are team efforts, featuring postings by anchors, producers and correspondents.

Dallas (3-1) at N.Y. Giants (2-3)Time: 9 p.m., chs. 2, 7Line: Cowboys by 3.Vs. spread: Cowboys 3-1; Giants 2-3.Last week: Cowboys lost to Eagles, 13-10. Giants lost to Cardinals, 14-3.Series: Cowboys lead 46-25-2.Last meeting: Cowboys won, 16-6, on Nov. 8, 1998, at Dallas.Outlook: When these two teams met in a Monday night game last season, the Cowboys' Deion Sanders taught the Giants a prime-time lesson they'll never forget. Sanders returned an interception 71 yards for a touchdown, had a 59-yard punt return for a touchdown and set up a touchdown with a 55-yard catch.

BaseballNew York Yankees -- Named Daniel McCarthy general partner.Pittsburgh Pirates -- Agreed with P Bob Walk (9-2, 3.60 ERA) to a two-year contract worth approximately $3 million.BasketballNBA -- Fined Indiana Pacers F Chuck Person $7,500 for elbowing Chicago Bulls G John Paxson. Fined F Scott Williams, F Stacey King, C Cliff Levingston, C Will Perdue, G Bobby Hansen, G B.J. Armstrong and F Craig Hodges of Chicago and G George McCloud, C Greg Dreiling, F LaSalle Thompson, F Dale Davis and F Kenny Williams of Indiana $500 each for leaving their benches.

Today Arizona at Minnesota CARDINALS -- Probable: TE Fred Wakefield (Groin); P Scott Player (Groin). VIKINGS -- Questionable: CB Cedric Griffin (Neck); G Artis Hicks (Ankle); T Marcus Johnson (Ankle). Probable: WR Marcus Robinson (Back); LB Napoleon Harris (Wrist); RB Chester Taylor (Neck); DT Pat Williams (Knee); LB Dontarrious Thomas (Hamstring); CB Antoine Winfield (Concussion); DE Jayme Mitchell (Shoulder). San Francisco at St. Louis 49ERS -- Questionable: CB Shawntae Spencer (Ankle)

NEW YORK -- Diane Sawyer had an 80 percent "favorable" rating. Star Jones Reynolds, meanwhile, had one of the lowest ratings. Sawyer is America's favorite news or talk personality, according to a Gallup Poll released Tuesday. Eighty percent of the respondents rated Sawyer "favorable," while only 11 percent labeled her "unfavorable." Sawyer's tally puts her ahead of her colleague and former Good Morning America co-host Charlie Gibson, who slides in at No. 2, followed by NBC's Matt Lauer and Dan Rather (who doesn't even have a job in network news anymore)