CBS News plans to tear up the template the famous Tiffany network created for its evening newscasts when Norah O’Donnell steps down as anchor this fall — instead launching a “60 Minutes”-style show with four veteran reporters , the company announced Thursday.
The massive rebuild for the Evening News at the bottom spot includes moving from its Washington, D.C. digs and returning to the CBS Broadcast Center in Hell’s Kitchen — where it will be co-anchored by veteran CBS News reporter John Dickerson and WCBS anchor- TV. Maurice DuBois.
“Face the Nation” anchor Margaret Brennan will lead political and foreign coverage out of D.C. and Lonnie Quinn will become chief weatherman in a new format that will be “overseen” by “60 Minutes” executive producer Bill Owens.
Owens — whose “60 Minutes” is a prestigious and profitable engine for the network — will “be instrumental in shaping the future” of the show, “while also enhancing our editorial and decision-making capabilities across CBS News and Stations, CBS News. said CEO Wendy McMahon.
The shakeup of the poorly rated evening news program comes after McMahon ousted O’Donnell from the anchor chair on Tuesday ahead of major cuts expected to begin this month.
A CBS insider called the new moves a “PR stunt” and “window dressing.”
“’60 Minutes’ doesn’t break much new news,” the source noted.
Another source said O’Donnell’s departure from the anchor chair does not bode well for the network’s other top talent.
“To me this is a signal that the August layoffs are going to be big, wide and deep and no one is off limits,” the source predicted.
Owens, meanwhile, said he hopes to bring back strong storytelling to the “Evening News,” whose stable of notable anchors has included Edward R. Murrow, Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather.
“The Evening News was a defining part of my career and remains the broadcast of record,” said Owens, emphasizing the importance of the show’s return to New York after it moved to DC in 2019 under former CBS News president Susan Zirinsky.
“This broadcast will not be the traditional titles that move from one cut story to another. There will be a new format and pace for how we deliver news,” he added.
Veteran producer Guy Campanile will become executive producer and Jerry Cipriano will return as editor and news producer, Owens added.
CBS News hopes the changes will boost ratings, which have sunk under O’Donnell.
Although the 50-year-old anchor has scored some big interviews over the years, the Evening News averaged just 4.4 million total viewers last quarter and fewer than 600,000 in the 25-54 demographic.
During O’Donnell’s five years in the anchor slot, her ratings fell roughly 25%, cementing her behind ABC’s top-rated World News Tonight and NBC Nightly News.
The veteran journalist will move into a new role as senior correspondent, where she will focus on bigger interviews, after the presidential election in November.
Her announced departure comes as CBS parent Paramount Global is expected to take a $500 million cut ahead of its potential merger with Skydance Media.
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