WNBC announces Chuck Scarborough’s replacement on the 6 p.m.

NBC’s flagship local station in New York, WNBC, has named its pick to replace retiring longtime anchor Chuck Scarborough.

David Ushery, who has been with the station since 2003 and working in the marketing since 1993, has been named to replace Scarborough on the station’s 6 p.m. newscast.

Ushery already anchors the station’s 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. newscasts, so his being selected as replacement is not a surprise.

He’s already an experience journalist and anchor and likely has significant name recognition among the station’s viewers.

“For more than 20 years, covering everything from tragedies to triumphs, David has proven he can do it all,” said Amy Morris, senior vice president of news for NBC 4 New York and Telemundo 47, is quoted as saying on an article announcing the change on the station’s site. “Ush, as he’s known in the newsroom, is an innovative journalist who connects with audiences on any platform. He’s a critical talent as ‘News 4 New York’ continues to evolve and build for the future.”

Natalie Pasquarella, who currently co-anchors the 4, 6 and 11 p.m. newscasts for NBC New York, will continue to co-anchor all three broadcasts alongside Ushery.

The new anchor lineup takes effect on Dec. 16, 2024. Scarborough’s final day on the job is Dec. 12, 2024.

By having an existing anchor take over Scarborough’s lone regular newscast assignment, WNBC is able to create both consistency for viewers throughout much of its afternoon, evening and late news block. Although terms of Ushery’s contract are not public, it’s also possible the station is saving some money by having an existing staffer take over, as many stations are looking to save money as the broadcasting industry continues to shift. WNBC did not provide specifics as to the strategy and financials that lead the decision to replace Scarborough with Ushery.

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Ushery came to New York in 1993 as a general assignment reporter for WABC. He was only 25 at the time.

After moving up to anchoring and hosting duties, he jumped to WNBC in 2003 as a weekend morning anchor, eventually also taking over the 6 and 11 p.m. slots on those two days as well.

He also co-anchored “Live at 5” alongside Sue Simmons for a period before going back to weekends and working on other projects for the station.

In 2020, he went back to weekdays after Stefan Holt, the son “NBC Nightly News” anchor Lester Holt, moved back to Chicago’s NBC-owned WMAQ. 

Before that change, Stefan Holt was viewed by many as the next in line for Scarborough’s chair but his departure apparently shuffled the line of succession.