Judy Woodruff Prepares to Sign Off as a ‘PBS NewsHour’ Anchor After 37 Years at NBC
By NBC News Editorial Staff
Judy Woodruff, the longest-tenured full-time member of NBC News’ first family of news anchors, will depart in June after 37 years as the network’s anchor of NBC Nightly News. News of her retirement comes as NBC prepares to launch its fifth news division, a new global presence for NBC News and a shift in strategy as the Peacock tries to break into the lucrative international market.
Woodruff, 84, is leaving NBC News after 31 years as an anchor and the last two years as the face of the NBC Nightly News. She was appointed by NBC News chairman Jeff Zucker in 1990. Over the years, she has garnered Emmy and Peabody awards.
“It has been an honor and privilege to serve NBC News as the anchor of the Tonight Show,” said Woodruff in a statement. “I love this job – and I am so grateful that I will be able to live out those memories each night on the Tonight Show as we celebrate our great company and the people we have worked so hard to bring to our viewers,”
NBC News president Steve Capus said, “Judy’s work at Nightly News has been a unique and invaluable addition to NBC News. We’re proud of all that we have been able to accomplish together from the creation of the network to the expansion of news and the digital products we put out there every day.”
In a statement to staff members, the anchor said she has long made it clear that she was leaving the network to return to teaching.
“It has been a great privilege to be part of, and be known as, ‘the world’s most trusted news anchor.’ I now call myself an educator,” Woodruff said. “It is my hope to continue doing what I love—teaching and sharing the values of integrity, quality reporting and hard-hitting reporting that is the bedrock of our news