In Blow to NBC News, ‘Rock Center’ Is Canceled

Among the cancellations announced this week in anticipation of Monday’s unveiling of a new prime time schedule, surely the hardest to take for NBC News is the closing notice for “Rock Center,” the ambitious newsmagazine program that hoped to stake out new territory for both the news division and its chief anchor, Brian Williams.

NBC announced on Friday afternoon that “Rock Center” would not be back on its schedule in the fall and would have its last program in late June.

The ratings for the program were always at a level that threatened cancellation, though they were not especially lower than those for most of the 10 p.m. dramas the network tried out this season. And, as often is the case, the hourlong show suffered from being moved around the schedule. “Rock Center” was a particular vagabond, suffering through five different time slots on the NBC schedule.

Mr. Williams issued a statement saying: “I’m so proud of the work we did. Our people got shot at for this broadcast. They pulled countless all-nighters. They investigated, cajoled, hustled and cared deeply. They won awards, won the respect of their colleagues and produced great television journalism.”

One of the awards went to Bob Costas for his telephone interview with Jerry Sandusky, the Penn State football coach later convicted in a child-molesting case.

“Rock Center” was partly an effort to find a second outlet for Mr. Williams, who the NBC management felt was underused as just the anchor of the “Nightly News.” The show assembled a prominent group of reporters that included Ted Koppel, Richard Engel, Harry Smith, Meredith Vieira, Ann Curry, Kate Snow and Matt Lauer.

The decision leaves NBC with one newsmagazine, “Dateline,” which is devoted heavily to crime stories.