CBS Information is already backtracking on a revamp of its “Evening News” program — and the community’s embattled boss dangers turning into a casualty, The Publish has realized.
Simply weeks after a drastic overhaul changed Norah O’Donnell with a “60 Minutes”-style information journal helmed by a pair of little-known anchors, the Tiffany Community is reverting to a extra news-driven broadcast as rankings tumble, sources stated.
That’s after embarrassments like final week, when the “Evening News” led with “Why can’t Johnny read?” — a six-minute characteristic package deal about pupil literacy — regardless of a busy information cycle that included Elon Musk showing on the White Home and Russia’s launch of a US prisoner.
“They’ve realized they can’t ignore the news,” stated an business insider of the third-place present. “You can’t really ignore the tsunami of news that is coming out of the White House and Washington.”
The brand new format was the brainchild of CBS Information CEO and president Wendy McMahon, who wished to shake up the perennially third-place program anchored by O’Donnell for the previous 5 years.
McMahon tapped “60 Minutes” govt producer Invoice Owens to carry longer reported items to the “Evening News.” She additionally changed O’Donnell with lesser-known — and cheaper anchors Maurice DuBois and Jeff Dickerson.
The duo has been extensively panned by present and former CBS Information workers.
One supply stated Dickerson “looked like a deer in the headlights” throughout the nightly broadcast, whereas one other stated former WCBS anchor DuBois is a “complete unknown” to anybody outdoors of the New York Metropolis market.
“There are a couple of things you want from an anchorman or woman,” stated a former information govt. “You want to invite them into your house because you like them. Or they have to have credibility.”
is unsure after critics panned her revamped “Evening News.” Getty Photos fo Anti-Defamation League
“What credibility does Maurice DuBois have and what credibility does John Dickerson have other than political reporting?” the supply added. “None.”
The overhaul comes as Skydance Media goals to merge with the Paramount International-owned community this yr in a deal that’s anticipated to lead to sweeping layoffs and a restructuring of Paramount, residence to CBS, MTV and Showtime.
Sources advised The Publish that there are rumors that Skydance CEO David Ellison and former NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell, who’s primed to take over as president of the merged firm, has doubts about McMahon’s technique for the information division.
“The Ellison-Skydance contingent has not been impressed by her strategy or leadership ability,” one other supply advised The Publish.
Skydance and Shell declined to remark
“I don’t think Wendy survives,” the primary insider stated, citing the way forward for the exec at CBS below new company overlords. “Where are Wendy’s wins? What has she done?”
CBS Information declined to remark.
On Wednesday, McMahon’s proper hand Adrienne Roark exited the community, which insiders speculated seemed like the beginning of a stampede forward of the merger.
Because the Dickerson-Dubois pairing was launched on Jan. 27, the rankings have skilled a constant decline, in keeping with Nielsen knowledge. Whereas the present debuted with 5.2 million whole viewers, it slid to 4.8 million viewers on common its first week on air.
By its second week, the present misplaced roughly 300,000 viewers and by its third week ended Feb. 16, it garnered slightly below 4.5 million whole viewers the information confirmed.
A supply near CBS Information stated the drop-off in viewers was “not a surprise.”
“When there is an anchor change, traditionally there is a dip in ratings. We understood there would be a short-term ratings hit and we are in this for the long term and are confident in our long game,” the supply stated.
The “Evening News” has scrambled to adapt on the fly, main with extra breaking information and evaluation from CBS Information correspondents together with Margaret Brennan, who has been criticized by President Trump and Vice President Vance.
On Sunday, Brennan was ripped by critics after she claimed free speech was “weaponized” in Germany to hold out the Holocaust throughout a back-and-forth with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
A part of the McMahon’s preliminary technique for the revamped “Night Information’ was to chop prices by operating fewer, longer tales than shorter, news-driven tales advised by reporters on the scene.
For the Delta aircraft crash story, CBS Information didn’t ship a reporter to Toronto, however as an alternative ran an interview of a survivor by the Canadian Broadcasting Company.
The present has discovered different methods to rapidly — and cheaply — cowl information tales such because the IRS layoffs below Trump, the egg scarcity and the measles outbreak in Texas, in its “round up” phase that lasts roughly one minute every night time.
“They have realized a cheap way to cover the news,” an business insider stated, noting that the present’s credibility might have slid.
Puck Information just lately reported that the feature-driven format and present’s anchor duo have change into fodder for a broader inner critique of the present and its chief McMahon.
