All articles tagged with #cbs evening news
During a live CBS Evening News segment from Taipei, anchor Tony Dokoupil’s broadcast ended in chaos when a cameraman suffered a medical emergency on set, prompting a break and a sign-off as muffled audio and last-minute visa travel issues complicated the telecast; CBS later said the cameraman is OK, and the episode underscored Dokoupil’s ongoing ratings struggles amid competition from NBC and ABC anchoring from Beijing.
Tony Dokoupil abruptly cut to a break during CBS Evening News from Taipei after a cameraman on set suffered a medical emergency; Dokoupil urged viewers that a doctor would be called, and CBS later noted the cameraman is okay and recovering.
A Vanity Fair exposé quotes unnamed CBS colleagues delivering harsh put-downs of Tony Dokoupil—calling him “useful idiot” and “eye candy”—and questions Bari Weiss’s choice of anchoring CBS Evening News. The piece notes Dokoupil’s tentative start with technical glitches and a brief ratings uptick, while CBS defends him as an “exceptional talent.” The overall portrait portrays a tense, scrutinized transition amid a changing media landscape.
CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil is under fire from newsroom staff after Vanity Fair’s bombshell report detailed his rocky start, including Bari Weiss’s behind-the-scenes edits and a January video criticizing the “legacy media.” The piece also recounts on-air missteps (dead air, a Marco Rubio tribute) and internal backlash over efforts to make the program more MAGA-friendly, all while ratings remain weak against rivals, fueling concerns about the network’s direction.
Since Tony Dokoupil became the anchor in January, CBS Evening News has averaged about 4.13 million viewers and 521,000 adults 25-54, but in the past four weeks the audience fell to roughly 3.78 million (with a low near 3.5 million), widening the gap vs. ABC and NBC and leaving CBS behind its peers.
Nielsen data show CBS Evening News averaged 3.83 million viewers (468,000 in 25–54) for the five days ending March 13, dipping below the 4 million mark after Tony Dokoupil’s debut. By contrast, ABC’s World News Tonight led with about 8.48 million and NBC Nightly News had around 6.51 million, underscoring renewed concerns at CBS about its evening-news strategy amid anchor shifts and Daylight Saving Time effects. Dokoupil had earlier posted stronger numbers in his first weeks, but the show’s audience has continued to slide year over year, prompting CBS to reassess its anchor lineup and focus on enterprise vs. breaking-news framing.
For Feb. 9–13, NBC Nightly News benefited from Olympic coverage, averaging 7.797 million total viewers and 1.24 million in Adults 25-54—the strongest 25–54 week since August 2024. ABC's World News Tonight led in total viewers with 8.657 million and drew 1.105 million in 25–54. CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil averaged 4.163 million total viewers and 458,000 in 25-54, down from the prior week (the Friday broadcast was not included in CBS’s four‑day average). Year over year, CBS was down 7% in total viewers and 28% in 25-54; World News Tonight was down 4% in both metrics, while NBC rose 16% in total viewers and 22% in 25-54 due to Olympic coverage. The piece also notes Dokoupil’s ongoing struggles against Muir and Llamas as the CBS program adjusts under new leadership.
CBS News has begun offering buyouts to an unspecified number of staff on CBS Evening News as part of a cost-cutting push led by executive producer Kim Harvey, a move that follows Bari Weiss’s push to reshape CBS News for younger, digital audiences. The changes come weeks after the network debuted Tony Dokoupil as the evening anchor; editors fear job losses and a shift away from routine journalism, with many staffers not covered by union contracts.
CBS News is offering an unspecified number of buyouts at CBS Evening News as part of cost-cutting after Paramount Skydance’s ownership shift. The move coincides with Tony Dokoupil anchoring the program and Bari Weiss advocating a shift toward differentiated, younger-audience journalism. Staffers fear further reductions, partly because many editorial roles aren’t covered by unions, and some fear retaliation, while CBS emphasizes trimming commodity news and pursuing niche, podcast-style storytelling.
Audio obtained by the New York Times captures Karoline Leavitt warning CBS Evening News host Tony Dokoupil that President Trump’s 13‑minute interview must be aired in full or she threatened legal action; CBS says the interview ran unedited in full. The piece notes Trump’s past lawsuit against CBS and includes excerpts from the interview, including comments about Venezuela and political dynamics.
Tony Dokoupil’s CBS Evening News debut has been marred by technical glitches and awkward moments as CBS promotes a new era, yet ratings haven’t improved. In week one the show drew about 4.17 million viewers, roughly its season average and well below last January’s level, despite heavy promotion and higher-than-average expectations set by predecessors who started nearer to 5 million. The piece argues that changes under Dokoupil and his boss Bari Weiss aren’t delivering the audience or momentum CBS hoped for.
Truthout reports CBS Evening News lost over a million viewers in its first week with Tony Dokoupil as anchor after Bari Weiss became editor-in-chief, with Nielsen showing a roughly 23% drop from 5.4 million to about 4.17 million daily viewers and a sharp fall in the 25–54 demographic, amid claims of a Trump-friendly pivot and related leadership controversies.
Tony Dokoupil’s road-trip debut as CBS Evening News anchor draws attention for promise and missteps amid new Skydance ownership and Bari Weiss’s editorial direction. While the format and interviews (including Trump) show potential to engage a divided audience, glitches and contested editorial choices—such as Minneapolis’ Jan. 6 coverage—highlight the challenges of balancing viewer empathy with rigorous reporting in 2026.
Tony Dokoupil’s debut CBS Evening News interview with President Trump runs about 14 minutes without ads, filmed at a Ford plant in Dearborn, and covers the economy, Fed chair Powell, Iran protests, and the Minnesota ICE killing, with Trump touting a strong economy, weighing foreign threats, and making power‑and‑morality remarks, all amid CBS leadership changes and questions about newsroom trust.
In a CBS Evening News interview filmed at a Detroit Ford plant, Donald Trump told Tony Dokoupil that if Kamala Harris had won in 2024, Dokoupil “probably wouldn’t have a job right now,” then quipped about salary differences. The roughly 15-minute conversation covered the economy, inflation, and Trump’s takes on Iran, while also addressing the Renee Good ICE-officer shooting and Trump’s defense of ICE. The piece also notes that some of Trump’s claims (e.g., “ended eight wars” and inflation trends) were contested by fact-checkers.