Then it should not come as a shock that the vocal contribution to NBC's broadcast is provided by Oscar winner Michael Douglas. Reciting the simple lines, "This is the NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams," Douglas has made television news history.

After Katie Couric's signing to anchor the CBS Evening News, outlets have been searching for ways to set themselves apart. Even as her broadcasts are still searching for a true hold on audiences, the other networks have taken notice to type of star power that is required to get your news departments noticed.

Douglas is the first celebrity of any kind to enter the primetime news fray in any kind of fashion. In a statement on the historic addition to his news broadcast, Williams said he appealed to Douglas' desire to be known beyond entertainment.

"I called him and said, 'On top of everything you've done as an actor, producer and Academy Award winner, this will mean a small slice of immortality in our industry,'" the anchor said in his statement. "'It also means wherever you are on Earth, at 6:30 p.m. Eastern time, you'll know your voice is on the air.'"