Williams was suspended for six months without pay on Tuesday after he admitted lying to his viewers about riding in a military helicopter hit by a rocket-propelled grenade during the Iraq war in 2003 . Brian Williams tried and failed to secure a promise that he can definitely return to the Night News' anchor chair when his six month suspension ends in August, according to sources close to negotiations earlier this week at NBC. Williams was suspended for six months without pay on Tuesday after he admitted lying to his viewers about riding in a military helicopter hit by a rocket-propelled grenade during the Iraq war in 2003. Journalists at NBC News have described the departure of the star anchor who has led the top-rated Nightly News since 2004 as 'very painful.' 'People are angry at Brian,' one NBC News journalist told The Washington Post on condition of anonymity. 'We all worked so hard at establishing our credibility, and it feels like our credibility has been badly damaged.' Sources at NBC News believe Williams made his own situation much worse with his misjudged and half-hearted on-air apology on February 4. The anchor's statement that he had 'made a mistake in recalling the events of 12 years ago' did little to stem the growing controversy and insiders believe viewers simply didn't buy Williams' excuse. 'It was obvious it fell flat,' one insider told The Post. 'The world felt it was not contrite or fulsome enough. 'Williams' grave error was to continue to claim that he had merely forgotten the facts rather than that he had deliberately inflated his own role in the dangerous situation. Top level: Williams' bosses NBC Chief Executive Stephen Burke and Deborah Turness, the president of NBC's news division, issued a joint statement on Tuesday night revealing that the anchor had been suspended . 'Ninety percent of the people knew it was not misremembering, it was making it up,' the source said. Williams' situation quickly got worse as the spotlight was shone on other stories such as his reporting from New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and even a story about saving puppies while a volunteer fireman in the 1970s. Executives at NBC however were most concerned with the Iraq fabrication. 'When helicopter crew members get shot down and you attach yourself to what they went through, it's pretty outrageous,' another internal source told the Post on condition of anonymity. By now senior management such as NBC Chief Executive Steve Burke, NBC Universal News Group Chairman Pat Fili-Krushel and NBC News President Deborah Turness were involved and the idea of a self-imposed suspension was discussed. Williams' predecessor Tom Brokaw was also involved. 'We will work every night to be worthy of your trust': Williams' temporary replacement Lester Holt directly addressed the controversy surrounding the anchor's suspension during Wednesday night's broadcast . On Febuary 7 network officials agreed to let Williams take himself off the air for several days and it was announced that weekend anchor Lester Holt would fill in. By now an internal investigation lead by veteran journalist Richard Esposito had also confirmed that Williams had lied about his Iraq helicopter story wrong - a conclusion senior management found unacceptable. Esposito also unearthed other 'instances of exaggeration,' including issues with Williams' stories about what he had recalled seeing during Hurricane Katrina. Further action was required and Burke considered three options - firing Williams outright, a lesser suspension and the option that was ultimately chosen. Williams favored a short suspension that would allow him to maintain his position as managing editor. 'That was never going to happen,' a senior NBC official told The Washington Post. The star anchor also failed to receive a promise from his bosses that his return is guaranteed. On Monday senior officials  concluded that Williams should be suspended for six months without pay and Burke contacted him to break the news. Something missing? The banner graphic for NBC Nightly News was wiped of Brian Willams' name starting Wednesday . Williams, 55, has so far declined to comment on his suspension. He may consider a suspension without a promise that he will get his job back tantamount to being fired and attempt to negotiate a settlement with NBC. He is not allowed to make appearances without the approval of people at the network. On Wednesday, the network changed the name of the broadcast from NBC Nightly News With Brian Williams to NBC Nightly News. Acknowledging that it was 'an enormously difficult story' to report, the show aired a segment about Williams' six-month suspension and pledged to make itself worthy of viewers' trust. Replacement anchor Holt opened the report by saying: 'And now to the story many of you are talking about tonight and one that for us not only hits close to home but in our home.' Holt quoted from statements from Turness and Burke, in which they described Williams' actions as 'wrong and completely inappropriate,' and which jeopardized 'the trust millions of Americans place in NBC News.' Holt then added: 'Now if I may on a personal note say it is an enormously difficult story to report. 'Brian is a member of our family, but so are you, our viewers and we will work every night to be worthy of your trust.' Currently off the air after he admitted to lying about being hit by enemy fire in Iraq, a number of Williams' other seemingly outlandish claims are currently coming under increased scrutiny . Red Bank, New Jersey, 1970s . In a 2011 interview, Brian Williams recalled his time as a teenage volunteer firefighter during which he saved a puppy. However in a 2005 Esquire interview, Williams had claimed to save not one but two puppies. In the same Esquire interview Williams also revealed that he had been mugged at gunpoint while selling Christmas trees in the sleepy New Jersey town in which he grew up. A number of locals have questioned the credibility of his claim that someone 'stuck a .38-caliber in my face'. Iraq War, 2003 . Over the years Williams has told multiple versions of a story about being in an Army Chinook helicopter during the Iraq War in 2003. Last month he claimed his helicopter was hit by ground fire, an allegation he was later forced to admit was false after an outcry from soldiers who were present. Williams issued an on-air apology and wrote on Facebook: 'Nobody's trying to steal anyone's valor.' Hurricane Katrina, 2005 . Williams has told several stories about his experiences reporting from New Orleans. He has claimed to have seen a dead body float past the window of his hotel in the city's French Quarter – even though the area wasn't flooded. The accuracy of other Katrina claims, including that he caught dysentery drinking the flood waters and that his hotel was 'overrun' with gangs, have been called into question by others who were on the ground during the disaster. Israel, 2006 . In a 2007 interview with Fairfield University Student Television, Williams recalled 'Katyusha rockets passing just underneath the helicopter I was riding in' during a trip to Israel. In fact he was nowhere near enemy fire and in a broadcast segment filmed that day he described rocket fire 'six miles away'. Boston, 2006 . A Navy vet accused Williams of lying to skip an event honoring members of the Armed Forces so that he could appear on Saturday Night Live. On the day of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society event the NBC News anchor told organizers that a 'pressing engagement' meant he wouldn't be able speak at the dinner, but later that evening he appeared in a walk-on role on SNL's Weekend Update.
Williams failed to receive any assurance from bosses that he will be able to walk back into his old job when his six month suspension is done .
Anchor has so far failed to comment but may now attempt to negotiate a settlement deal to leave NBC rather than wait til August .
Williams had favored a short suspension that would allow him to maintain his position as managing editor .
'That was never going to happen,' said a senior NBC official .
Williams was suspended for six months without pay on Tuesday after he admitted lying to his viewers about riding in a military helicopter hit by a rocket-propelled grenade during the Iraq war in 2003 . Brian Williams tried and failed to secure a promise that he can definitely return to the Night News' anchor chair when his six month suspension ends in August, according to sources close to negotiations earlier this week at NBC. Williams was suspended for six months without pay on Tuesday after he admitted lying to his viewers about riding in a military helicopter hit by a rocket-propelled grenade during the Iraq war in 2003. Journalists at NBC News have described the departure of the star anchor who has led the top-rated Nightly News since 2004 as 'very painful.' 'People are angry at Brian,' one NBC News journalist told The Washington Post on condition of anonymity. 'We all worked so hard at establishing our credibility, and it feels like our credibility has been badly damaged.' Sources at NBC News believe Williams made his own situation much worse with his misjudged and half-hearted on-air apology on February 4. The anchor's statement that he had 'made a mistake in recalling the events of 12 years ago' did little to stem the growing controversy and insiders believe viewers simply didn't buy Williams' excuse. 'It was obvious it fell flat,' one insider told The Post. 'The world felt it was not contrite or fulsome enough. 'Williams' grave error was to continue to claim that he had merely forgotten the facts rather than that he had deliberately inflated his own role in the dangerous situation. Top level: Williams' bosses NBC Chief Executive Stephen Burke and Deborah Turness, the president of NBC's news division, issued a joint statement on Tuesday night revealing that the anchor had been suspended . 'Ninety percent of the people knew it was not misremembering, it was making it up,' the source said. Williams' situation quickly got worse as the spotlight was shone on other stories such as his reporting from New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and even a story about saving puppies while a volunteer fireman in the 1970s. Executives at NBC however were most concerned with the Iraq fabrication. 'When helicopter crew members get shot down and you attach yourself to what they went through, it's pretty outrageous,' another internal source told the Post on condition of anonymity. By now senior management such as NBC Chief Executive Steve Burke, NBC Universal News Group Chairman Pat Fili-Krushel and NBC News President Deborah Turness were involved and the idea of a self-imposed suspension was discussed. Williams' predecessor Tom Brokaw was also involved. 'We will work every night to be worthy of your trust': Williams' temporary replacement Lester Holt directly addressed the controversy surrounding the anchor's suspension during Wednesday night's broadcast . On Febuary 7 network officials agreed to let Williams take himself off the air for several days and it was announced that weekend anchor Lester Holt would fill in. By now an internal investigation lead by veteran journalist Richard Esposito had also confirmed that Williams had lied about his Iraq helicopter story wrong - a conclusion senior management found unacceptable. Esposito also unearthed other 'instances of exaggeration,' including issues with Williams' stories about what he had recalled seeing during Hurricane Katrina. Further action was required and Burke considered three options - firing Williams outright, a lesser suspension and the option that was ultimately chosen. Williams favored a short suspension that would allow him to maintain his position as managing editor. 'That was never going to happen,' a senior NBC official told The Washington Post. The star anchor also failed to receive a promise from his bosses that his return is guaranteed. On Monday senior officials  concluded that Williams should be suspended for six months without pay and Burke contacted him to break the news. Something missing? The banner graphic for NBC Nightly News was wiped of Brian Willams' name starting Wednesday . Williams, 55, has so far declined to comment on his suspension. He may consider a suspension without a promise that he will get his job back tantamount to being fired and attempt to negotiate a settlement with NBC. He is not allowed to make appearances without the approval of people at the network. On Wednesday, the network changed the name of the broadcast from NBC Nightly News With Brian Williams to NBC Nightly News. Acknowledging that it was 'an enormously difficult story' to report, the show aired a segment about Williams' six-month suspension and pledged to make itself worthy of viewers' trust. Replacement anchor Holt opened the report by saying: 'And now to the story many of you are talking about tonight and one that for us not only hits close to home but in our home.' Holt quoted from statements from Turness and Burke, in which they described Williams' actions as 'wrong and completely inappropriate,' and which jeopardized 'the trust millions of Americans place in NBC News.' Holt then added: 'Now if I may on a personal note say it is an enormously difficult story to report. 'Brian is a member of our family, but so are you, our viewers and we will work every night to be worthy of your trust.' Currently off the air after he admitted to lying about being hit by enemy fire in Iraq, a number of Williams' other seemingly outlandish claims are currently coming under increased scrutiny . Red Bank, New Jersey, 1970s . In a 2011 interview, Brian Williams recalled his time as a teenage volunteer firefighter during which he saved a puppy. However in a 2005 Esquire interview, Williams had claimed to save not one but two puppies. In the same Esquire interview Williams also revealed that he had been mugged at gunpoint while selling Christmas trees in the sleepy New Jersey town in which he grew up. A number of locals have questioned the credibility of his claim that someone 'stuck a .38-caliber in my face'. Iraq War, 2003 . Over the years Williams has told multiple versions of a story about being in an Army Chinook helicopter during the Iraq War in 2003. Last month he claimed his helicopter was hit by ground fire, an allegation he was later forced to admit was false after an outcry from soldiers who were present. Williams issued an on-air apology and wrote on Facebook: 'Nobody's trying to steal anyone's valor.' Hurricane Katrina, 2005 . Williams has told several stories about his experiences reporting from New Orleans. He has claimed to have seen a dead body float past the window of his hotel in the city's French Quarter – even though the area wasn't flooded. The accuracy of other Katrina claims, including that he caught dysentery drinking the flood waters and that his hotel was 'overrun' with gangs, have been called into question by others who were on the ground during the disaster. Israel, 2006 . In a 2007 interview with Fairfield University Student Television, Williams recalled 'Katyusha rockets passing just underneath the helicopter I was riding in' during a trip to Israel. In fact he was nowhere near enemy fire and in a broadcast segment filmed that day he described rocket fire 'six miles away'. Boston, 2006 . A Navy vet accused Williams of lying to skip an event honoring members of the Armed Forces so that he could appear on Saturday Night Live. On the day of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society event the NBC News anchor told organizers that a 'pressing engagement' meant he wouldn't be able speak at the dinner, but later that evening he appeared in a walk-on role on SNL's Weekend Update.
Night News' anchor chair when his six month forgotten the facts rather than that he had favored a short suspension that would allow him to maintain his position as managing editor. 'That was never going to happen,' a senior NBC anchor also failed to receive a promise from his Wednesday . Williams, 55, has so far declined to negotiate a settlement with NBC. He is not