The News with Brian Williams, first shown on July 15, 1996, was the former flagship signature news broadcast on both MSNBC and CNBC. The show's host was Brian Williams. The News was a broadcast designed mainly for primetime viewers who might have missed that night's NBC Nightly News.

The News was originally shown at 9pm ET on MSNBC until July 6, 2001. It was moved to the 8pm time slot on July 9, 2001.

During the United States presidential election, 2000, The News was the main program for MSNBC's coverage.

John Seigenthaler often substituted for Williams during his absence, mainly because of Williams' duties as substitute on NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw.