"Rush Limbaugh has a place in American history he has not yet received his due for," Williams told ABC Radio network host Sean Hannity on Wednesday.

"There were millions of Americans who were out in the wilderness and had no one who shared their voice," the NBC'er said. "And he came along and gave birth to a whole bunch of things."

Williams called Limbaugh "a leader in the business" and said he regards it as "my job to listen to Rush."

His comments may not go down too well with NBC morning diva Katie Couric, who's reportedly no fan of Limbaugh.

Describing a somewhat hostile encounter between himself and Couric some years back, Limbaugh told his audience on Tuesday, "There's still some tension there."

Editor's note: