The lead news anchor at NBC’s owned-and-operated station in Washington, D.C. is taking personal leave after a Thanksgiving Day broadcast that raised concerns among station employees and viewers alike.
The anchor, Leon Harris, appeared to stumble over his words and looked confused while anchoring “News 4 at 6” on WRC-TV (Channel 4).
The incident caught the attention of employees working in the broadcast booth at WRC-TV, who quickly pulled Harris from the anchor desk and replaced him with a prolonged weather segment, then later switched to a taped program.
On Monday, officials at WRC-TV said Harris will be “stepping away from the anchor desk to focus on health issues.”
“We here at NBC 4 — and you at home — care deeply about Leon and wish him well,” the statement read. “We thank you for your concern.”
The station did not say what health issue Harris was dealing with, nor did it say when he would return to the anchor desk.
Harris has struggled with an addition to alcohol in the past, having twice been arrested for driving while under the influence. His most recent arrest occurred in 2022, when he struck a vehicle, causing it to crash into another car, according to a police report.
No one was injured in the crash, and a judge later ordered him to spend 10 days in jail as part of a one-year suspended sentence. He was also sentenced to serve three years of supervised probation and have an alcohol-detecting ignition lock installed on his vehicle.
It was not clear from WRC-TV’s statement on Monday if Harris was still subject to the term of probation, which would have run through 2025 if it was not suspended earlier.
The incident was the latest high-profile health issue to afflict a TV broadcaster who previously struggled with alcoholism.
In 2021, Fox-owned KTVU (Channel 2) in Northern California announced its lead news anchor, Frank Somerville, was taking an extended leave of absence to deal with an unspecified health issue, which later turned out to be alcohol addiction. The absence happened after Somerville appeared to slur his speech during a news broadcast; he was replaced about 15 minutes into the show.
Several months after the incident, Somerville was arrested for DUI, which ultimately ended his 30-year career at KTVU. In an interview with rival news channel KRON-TV (Channel 4), Somerville said he was not prepared to affirm his willingness to quit drinking entirely, saying “it’s still a work in progress.” He later revealed he was attending Alcoholics Anonymous meeting and had committed to sobriety.
