CBS Evening News Faces Series of Errors Over Fourth of July Weekend
Tony Dokoupil’s “CBS Evening News” stumbled through another blunder during the Fourth of July weekend, which has sparked some chatter regarding Bari Weiss’s changes to the Tiffany Network’s news broadcasts.
On Friday, the program, currently at the bottom of the ratings chart and relaunched in January with Dokoupil as the anchor, accidentally aired footage of Kanye West instead of Sean “Diddy” Combs amid news that President Trump was contemplating a pardon for Combs.
A screenshot surfaced showing CBS using an image from West’s unexpected appearance at Combs’s trial last year. Combs has been convicted in a federal sex crimes case and is now serving a 50-month sentence.
The blunder was quietly corrected for the West Coast Evening News and digital platforms. However, network officials pointed out that it highlighted the show’s staffing issues.
CBS News declined to elaborate on the matter, but one official referred to it as a “one-time mistake,” asserting it was unrelated to staffing shortages.
One official remarked, “They’re drinking from a fire hose. This shouldn’t be happening. Where’s the quality control?”
As the station prepared for a three-hour live primetime special, titled “The Great American Block Party 250,” hosted by Dokoupil and Nichelle Turner, a new layer of chaos emerged when President Trump ordered the evacuation of the National Mall due to thunderstorms. Dokoupil and Turner stood by as the storm delayed the broadcast for about an hour while awaiting further instruction from their superiors.
This source labeled the situation “amateur hour,” indicating that Dokoupil and Turner were left waiting in the rain without clear direction.
Although they managed to stay somewhat dry, backup anchor Kelly O’Grady took over from the D.C. studio, managing some interactions with weatherman Rob Marciano in New York.
Finally, by around 9:45 p.m., Dokoupil and Turner made their way back to the studio and joined O’Grady, about an hour and 45 minutes into the broadcast. From that point, CBS shifted gears to showcase musical performances from various locations rather than keeping the hosts in the studio. Trump eventually addressed the audience around 11:15 p.m., over an hour later than planned.
A CBS News spokesperson dismissed claims that the broadcast was chaotic, describing them as exaggerated. They asserted that their team adapted smoothly to the weather-related challenges, ensuring robust coverage for viewers.
Amid all this, some staff members expressed frustration over the broadcast’s chaotic nature. Preparing for such events often takes a lot of effort, and sources suggested that the network seemed “embarrassed” by how things played out.
CBS didn’t provide comments on the absence of the broadcast online, but an official suggested it was due to licensing issues, which rival networks didn’t seem to struggle with.
Another source pointed to an email from president Tom Szybrowski congratulating staff despite the program being described as “disastrous.” This comment left some thinking it would have been more appropriate to stay silent about it.
Continuing challenges seem to plague Dokoupil’s tenure at “Evening News,” including a lack of programming and important meetings compared to competitors. Concerns were also raised about insufficient producers and a void in swift decision-making from leadership.
Ratings, according to some network sources, showed that the show’s second-quarter average was 3.9 million viewers, which marked a slight increase from the previous year.
In contrast, NBC ran its annual Macy’s Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular featuring “The Voice” winner Alexia Jay, while ABC showcased “Disney Celebrates America: Nashville’s Star-Spangled Bash,” presenting acts like Reba McEntire and Tim McGraw.
These mistakes are part of a troubling pattern for the struggling Evening News program. Dokoupil’s first show in January suffered from a teleprompter failure, setting a rocky tone, but ratings have improved since then.
Other challenges include failed attempts to secure a visa for coverage at the US-China summit in May, forcing broadcasts from Taiwan instead. Additionally, there were reports of a cameraman collapsing from fatigue, leading to a whisper of Dokoupil being “cursed.” One CBS official quipped, “If Tony had nothing but bad luck, he wouldn’t have any luck at all.”
