Michael Douglas Lands Role as NBC Nightly News Announcer
December 17, 2007
If you’re a NBC Nightly News viewer, you may have noticed a change in the cast this evening. Turns out NBC has opted for a celebrity to provide voice imaging and announcing services for the evening broadcast.
It’s official: Michael Douglas is the new announcer for the NBC Nightly News.
“Before we go tonight, as promised, a word about the new voice you heard at the top of the broadcast tonight,” Brian Williams said at the close of this evening’s NBC Nightly News.
“Yes, that is Michael Douglas…the great Michael Douglas, actor, producer, and Academy Award winner.”
“Michael replaces the recording of the great Howard Reig, the voice of Nightly News for decades. Howard retired two years ago; we’ve been using his recording ever since.”
Now, NBC is not the first television network to choose a celebrity for voice work. CNN has works with James Earl Jones, who is known for his strong, booming voice.
Are ABC, CBS and FOX to follow?
Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.
It’s an interesting choice that’s for sure. I will miss hearing Reig’s voice.
I’ve got the video of Brian Williams introducing Douglas. Click on my name.
Douglas is a great actor, but his announcing voice pales in comparison to Reig. The gravitas is gone. I hope NBC reconsiders.
NBC is now stuck with its ignorant decision.
The voice is bad, has no authority. Just an amateurish voice over performance.
The network’s tacky publicity ploy will continue to backfire.
What a joke!
maybe michael douglas could replace that silly mika in the morning, I use to like her and still do, sometimes she is a bit of a shrill so early in the morning. She seems so phony at times. One would think coming from such a fine and cultured home she would behave better than she does at times. Her facial expressions are so ugly, that such a beautiful woman would have learned not to contort her face.She is fine by herself. She does not interact normally with two casual laidback men. Very perculiar.
A quick look at the calendar reveals it’s not April 1st, so I can only wonder what on earth NBC was thinking… publicity stunt? desperation? I really don’t get it. His acting skills aside, just one listen tells you Michael Douglas’s voice isn’t up to the task… but what do I know, I’m just a loyal viewer
[…] Michael Douglas Lands Role As NBC Nightly News Announcer […]
I hear CBS tried to get Truman Capote or a Truman Capote sound-alike.
Um… Surprised no one’s mentioned this yet, but any chance the contract ran out on the recorded audio, and Reig was trying to hold them over a barrel for a renewal? Stranger things have happened, and it would make a certain kind of sense… But definitely an odd choice.
Would’ve gone with Elizabeth Hurley, myself.
You can hardly blame Douglas. It wouldn’t be the first time a network has linked its reputation to the sound of a voice. For years you couldn’t find daylight between the voice of James Earl Jones and CNN in the public mind. Douglas had the opportunity to hitch his voice’s wagon to something that is, finally, a service rather than a product. The information and entertainment that are at the core of NBC’s identity dovetails nicely with Douglas’ public persona.
That’s the way NBC rolls. Score one for Douglas. But still. With the rollout of NBC’s new voice, we’re unconsciously invited to make a comparison between the signal broadcast television journalist of our time famed for a perfect signature line – “And that’s the way it is” — and an Oscar-winning actor-producer just as famous for another, more unfortunate avatar of the culture: “Greed is good.”
You wonder if NBC brass thought of that.
His father Kirk had such a distinctive voice and vocal styling, instantly recognizable and iconic.
Micheal is a great actor but I’m thinking they could have done better, publicity-wise or other…
How about Paul Ruebens doing Pee Wee Herman?? It would certainly lighten up the evening toll of death, disaster and ruin. Maybe get Laurence Fishburne in there as Cowboy Curtis, and they can do color commentary…couldn’t be any worse than Fawks Newz…
Michael Douglas Lands Role as NBC Nightly News Announcer…
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quck, cbs! find christopher walken!!
abc, get don rickles!!
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it does not sound right -why not use howard reig’s co worker at nbc for 40 years
DON PARDO ! or Charlie odonnell,Johnny Gilbert,or even ED McMahon?
these are a+ announcers or even Ed Hall from Jay Leno’s Tonight?
voice of new open is too low and seems kinda blah………..
[…] You might have heard about the choice that the NBC brass made with regard to replacing the long standing voice over recording voiced by Howard Reig for the Nightly News with announcing by Michael Douglas. […]
As a voice actor, I too am dissapointed in NBC’s choice to replace Howard Reig’s voice with Mr. Douglas’s voice for the intro. However, the real reason I watch the program is because of Brian Williams himself & the authority in which NBC chooses to deliver the news. Howard, enjoy your retirement & God Bless you & thanks for 67 wonderful years.
Sincerely;
Cowboy Dave (the Voice of the West)
If they wanted an actor, they should have gone with Martin Sheen.
Or…..
Alison Janney
Gene Hackman
Kevin Spacey
Or how about David Caruso with his dramatic………pause.
eric y and jay whitlow call this real progress! of course we would have preferred martin sheen in one of his special roles but md works for us here in the outback.
[…] when all the hoopla concerning Michael Douglas announcing at NBC was flying fast and […]
Are you kidding me?! I can do a better job than that weak excuse of a voice. CNN has James Earl Jones, that voice projects, confidence, strength, authority and above all Integrity….NBC has….Michael Douglas, weak (as in Don Knotts kinda weak), lack of presence, and most importantly he sounds like a guy who was just passing by and thought it would be “cool” to have his voice on the nightly news just for kicks.
When does his contract end and when do the next tryouts begin? I’ve begun to run the dishwasher at the beginning of the Nightly News just to avoid hearing that mousy voice.