BriWi Heads Into the Amazon

In one week's time, Brian Williams will saunter into Studio 15 at Amazon MGM Prime Studios in Los Angeles, take his place behind the anchor's desk, and prepare for the cameras to start rolling as the streaming juggernaut's inaugural Election Night newscast gets underway. It is the same set from which "Wizard of Oz" was filmed in the late 1930s, which is perhaps somewhat fitting: While the iconic film transported viewers to a fantastical world, Williams will take his audience into unfamiliar territory as well, giving them a glimpse at how a broadcast news program could look like in a post-linear television world.

When Williams takes his seat and the lights power on, he will have a unique challenge before him. On one hand, the legendary anchorman will certainly want to bring his traditional media bonafides with him as he takes on this streaming task. On the other hand, however, Williams will also need to introduce some new elements into the program, given that Amazon is trying to do something new and innovative. Simply recreating broadcast television on a streaming service would be a missed opportunity. Of course, perhaps most challenging of all the duties before him: Williams will have to anchor hours of high-stakes programming in a polarizing environment, ideally without alienating viewers, given the Jeff Bezos-founded and Andy Jassy-led company will not want to turn off its customers.