CBS Evening News Faces Changes Under New Leadership

It seems CBS is contemplating a shift in its programming with new anchor Tony Dokoupil at the helm. The station has begun to reach out to the Evening News staff, considering a takeover offer, according to recent reports.

An email from CBS News, sent on Wednesday, extended a “unique opportunity” for employees to leave with enhanced retirement benefits. This message followed a town hall meeting led by Bari Weiss, who discussed her vision for revamping the struggling news department. She emphasized a move beyond traditional television toward digital platforms, live events, and podcasts.

The email, which remained unsigned, noted that changes are on the horizon for the Evening News, including a new presenter. Although the company hopes staff will be excited about this new vision, it acknowledges that not everyone may share the same enthusiasm and offered support for those who might not be fully onboard.

CBS announced a one-time voluntary buyout program available to eligible non-union staff, with a deadline for acceptance set for February 2. Once accepted, financial terms for the acquisition would be provided by February 4, with a final resignation acceptance window closing on February 9 at 8 p.m. ET.

The network has not disclosed how many people received this offer, but an insider indicated that most Evening News staff members were included. However, many union members—especially writers and technical staff—did not receive buyout offers.

Executive producer Kim Harvey expressed hesitance regarding the acquisition memo sent out, and further changes, including layoffs and additional acquisition offers, are anticipated as Weiss seeks to reshape the network’s direction.

Weiss has faced protests from certain staff members about her reform initiatives, but she reassured employees that they are free to leave if they do not agree with her approach. “This is a free country,” she stated during a recent town hall, “and if you decide that I’m not the right leader for you… I fully respect you.”

She aims to promote more “exposing journalism” and highlight investigative stories available on the network’s digital platforms.

As part of the changes, CBS has introduced 19 new contributors, including historical analyst Niall Ferguson and podcaster Andrew Huberman, among others.

These developments come as the Evening News enters its third week with Dokoupil, who replaced co-anchors Maurice Dubois and John Dickerson following Weiss’s decisions. The show’s start didn’t go smoothly, with Dokoupil experiencing a teleprompter error during his first broadcast. He awkwardly addressed the mix-up on air before the correct story appeared.

His first two weeks have also drawn scrutiny for various moments, including an edit to a Venezuelan report and an emotional recounting of his childhood which some felt was overly sentimental. Commentator Megyn Kelly even criticized his on-air emotion as unprofessional and pandering.

In viewers’ numbers, Dokoupil started off strong but still lagged behind his competitors. He drew about 4.2 million viewers initially but improved to 4.9 million in his third week after returning to anchor in New York. Despite this increase, he remains below the frontrunner “ABC Nightly News with David Muir,” which pulled in 9 million viewers, and NBC’s “Nightly News with Tom Llamas,” which garnered around 6.9 million.