It’s been a while since we’ve gotten an update on the Brian Williams situation. Four months ago, Williams was caught in a series of on-camera lies. As it turned out, he was something of a serial fantasist, claiming to be the star of all kinds of heroic stunts and journalistic coups, none of which were really true. Williams was suspended from the NBC Nightly News for six months – his suspension will be over in August, but NBC is likely going to announce their final decision this week, following an exhaustive in-house investigation into Williams’ lies.

A decision about Brian Williams’ fate at NBC could come as early as this week — and it looks like the embattled anchor won’t be returning to “NBC Nightly News.” Sources tell Page Six that Williams will likely lose his anchor chair following the lengthy internal investigation into his alleged tall tales. But NBC brass — led by NBCUniversal CEO and president Steve Burke and NBC News chairman Andy Lack — have been looking for a way to keep him at the network in a different, yet-to-be-agreed-upon role. One source told us, “Brian’s six-month suspension is over in early August, and NBC chiefs are under pressure to come up with a solution. The talks are complicated and are ongoing, and there has not yet been a deal. But it is likely he won’t be back in the ‘Nightly’ anchor chair. A decision could be made as early as this week, if all sides can reach an agreement.”

Industry insiders said NBC News staff, led by Lack, have been encouraged to think of alternative roles for Williams. But we are told the veteran anchor and his hard-charging attorney Robert Barnett have yet to agree and sign off on an alternative role. One insider said, “Many options are still on the table and are still being discussed, including ways to keep Brian at the network, or even for him to leave the network completely.”

The Post previously reported that Williams “would not go without a fight” and would have to be paid a large portion of his contract, which is worth about $10 million a year for five years. NBC declined to comment.

[From Page Six]

I think still honoring Williams’ contract in any way, shape or form would be a GD joke. Williams could and should be fired for cause and there’s no way NBC should pay him $10 million a year following this disaster. And what kind of “alternative role”? There is no way Williams could anchor his own news magazine show at this point.

Meanwhile, it’s looking more and more like the substitute anchor of the Nightly News, Lester Holt, will become the permanent anchor. It couldn’t happen to a nicer guy – CNN ran a story about how Holt is doing really well in the anchor chair and his NBC colleagues love him and respect him. Holt is everything Brian Williams and Matt Lauer are not: a real newsman who treats his coworkers really well.

Photos courtesy of WENN.