Plans for Bret Baier at CBS Evening News

According to various media sources, CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss is looking to recruit Bret Baier, the host of Special Report at Fox News, to take over as anchor for CBS Evening News.

Weiss recently took on the role of editor-in-chief after CBS acquired The Free Press for $150 million earlier this month. However, it seems unlikely that Baier will make the move anytime soon, as he is under contract with Fox until 2028, with a salary reported around $14 million annually. Some comments from Oliver Darcy in the Status Newsletter suggest this situation won’t change quickly.

Baier has been associated with “Special Report” since January 2009, following an eleven-year span in various positions at Fox News, including serving as a White House correspondent.

In a recent tweet, Baier shared an experience where he was driving his wife’s car in Georgetown, got pulled over, and received a ticket while unexpectedly encountering paparazzi.

Weiss is the founder of Free Press, which she started in 2021. She resigned from the New York Times in 2020, reportedly due to backlash regarding a controversial op-ed. In a January 2021 interview, she criticized the current state of journalism, pointing out what she perceived as bias against conservative viewpoints.

The current format of “CBS Evening News” features co-hosts John Dickerson and Maurice Dubois after Norah O’Donnell left the anchor position earlier this year. CBS hasn’t provided any comments regarding the potential changes, and it appears Baier and Weiss have also not responded to inquiries.