BREAKING: Lester Holt to step down as 'NBC Nightly News' host

Lester Holt will be stepping down from his role as anchor and managing editor at "NBC Nightly News" after working in the position for a decade. He will continue to work for the company in a full-time role with the network's "Dateline" program.

According to NBC News, Holt will step down from the role at the beginning of the summer. His replacement has not yet been named by the network.

"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," Holt wrote in a memo to staffers. "As a 20-year-old radio reporter on the police beat chasing breaking news around San Francisco, I could never have imagined my career path would unfold in the way it has. What an amazing ride."

Janelle Rodriguez, the executive vice president of programming, said in a memo Holt's incoming departure of the role, “He has led the network during some of the country’s most fraught and challenging times in the past decade. Quite simply, Lester is the beating heart of this news organization."

The anchor was named to host the show in 2015 after he co-anchored "Weekend TODAY" for a dozen years. In addition to this, he was worked as the head anchor at "Dateline" since 2011. 

The anchor joined NBC News in 2000 and took the place of Brian Williams on "Nightly News" when Williams was ousted after falsely claiming that during a helicopter ride in Iraq, the aircraft was forced down after getting hit with an RPG. However, Williams was never fired upon while in the country.