Chopper Whopper: Brian Williams Cancels Letterman

In a sign of deepening trouble, Brian Williams Sunday canceled an appearance on Late Night with David Letterman, scheduled for Thursday, that had been a key part of his recovery strategy.

Decision was made because NBC was unsure what the situation will be on Thursday and Williams didn't feel he should keep a commitment to that appearance when his return to Nightly was still up in the air. It was on Letterman in 2013 that Williams gave one of his most vivid accounts of a close encounter with an RPG in Iraq in 2003

Saturday, Williams announced he would vacate the air "for the next several days" with Lester Holt filling in as anchor. The plan is an effort to buy time for NBC, which wants to protect it's No 1 asset. The sense inside NBC News has been that Williams is too big to fail.