Top ‘CBS Evening News’ producer may be on chopping – Business News
Time may be ticking for the highest producer at “CBS Evening News” as scores sink under 4 million — a new low for the Tony Dokoupil-anchored show, CBS insiders instructed The Post.
Executive producer Kim Harvey, who has overseen the nightly broadcast since final August, will finally take the autumn until she will pull the community’s flagship show out of the abyss, insiders stated.
CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss put in Dokoupil as anchor in January — changing co-anchors John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois — in hopes of reviving scores that had slid below 4 million.
“CBS Evening News” hosted by Tony Dokoupil has hit a new scores low, inflicting insiders to take a position that the show’s government producer might be on the chopping block. CBS by way of Getty Images
Dokoupil’s debut drew 4.4 million viewers and reached a scores high of 4.6 million in late January, however viewership has steadily declined since — sinking to three.8 million viewers for the week ending March 13, based on Nielsen scores.
“It’s pretty terrible. Once you’re under 4 million, you’ve got to be worried that you’re in a death spiral,” stated one CBS insider. “If they can’t retain an audience in the middle of a war, God help you when the war ends.”
CBS News didn’t instantly remark.
Some insiders griped that “CBS Evening News” is simply “too soft” below Harvey’s direction. This week, the show ran a section on a meteor sighting, and it has constantly closed the show with cute animal segments — which one source described as performed out.
“It’s animal story overload,” the source stated. “Kim’s thing is animals. She’s turning Tony into the animal anchor.”
What’s missing is enterprise reporting, the particular person added, noting that one shiny spot for the show was a latest hospice fraud investigation that Weiss pushed Harvey to put on this system.
“CBS Evening News’” scores have fallen under 4 million below government producer Karen Harvey. CBS News
A second CBS News source stated, “The show has lost over a half a million viewers in three months. You’ve got to sacrifice somebody to the ratings gods.”
The outlet blamed the drop in scores to the latest time change attributable to daylight financial savings time, based on Variety.
In distinction, top-rated “ABC World News Tonight” reeled in 8.5 million viewers, adopted by “NBC Nightly News,” which captured simply over 6.5 million viewers.
When scores fall under a sure threshold — like they’ve at “CBS Evening News” — high brass start to tinker with the graphics, set or programming earlier than chopping the manager producer, sources famous.
This week, “CBS Evening News” modified the background, flipping the digicam round to show Dokoupil presenting the information in entrance of a darkish blue world map. Audiences beforehand noticed the newsroom within the background with a tight shot on Dokoupil, creating a more old-school look.
CBS editor in chief Bari Weiss introduced Dokoupil in to anchor the “Evening News,” which has struggled within the scores as of late. CBS by way of Getty Images
But the beauty modifications aren’t going to show across the show’s sinking, last-place scores, sources stated — speculating that changing Harvey is the subsequent logical step.
“It feels like a hot mess every night,” the second source famous, including that the show misplaced a minimum of six producers when the community provided buyouts in February, hampering output.
Harvey, who was promoted to high producer in August, helmed the previous couple of months of Dickerson and DuBois’ disastrous tenure. She took over from Guy Campanile, a gruff Yonkers, NY, native and “60 Minutes” veteran who locked horns with CBS News president Tom Cibrowski.
Cibrowksi and senior vice president of editorial Wendy Fisher selected a more deferential particular person to steer the show — somebody who would observe their orders — based on sources with information of the matter.
Critics pointed to softer segments as a potential cause for a fall off in “Evening News’” viewership. CBS by way of Getty Images
Sources stated Dokoupil began off at a drawback as anchors normally choose their high producers, who in flip take cues from the anchor. Sources close to Dokoupil stated the anchor has sung Harvey’s praises and works properly together with her.
Harvey apart, some critics stated that the scores slide can also be Weiss’s fault, noting that she tapped Dokoupil regardless of his sore lack of expertise anchoring on his own.
A former “CBS Mornings” co-host, Dokoupil acquired off to a bumpy begin with a collection of gaffe-filled broadcasts, leaving some to marvel if he was skilled enough for the gig.
Another problem is protecting viewers’ consideration with compelling experiences which might be distinctive to the show.
While Weiss, who took the community’s helm in October, has stated she needs to invest more in investigative journalism, the purpose is but to yield outcomes.
With more layoffs looming, insiders marvel how CBS News will concurrently revamp marquee exhibits like “60 Minutes” and “CBS Mornings” whereas beefing up investigative storytelling — one thing that has suffered below earlier management — sources instructed The Post.
“The one thing that CBS had going for it was enterprise and investigative journalism, and most nights, they are not leveraging this,” stated one insider, who famous that investigative journalism has largely flailed on the community lately amid cuts and a revolving door of new bosses.
“The whole network has gone soft,” the particular person concluded.
