What's happened
CBS Evening News faces declining ratings, dropping below 4 million viewers amid leadership changes and format issues. Insiders suggest possible replacement of executive producer Kim Harvey as the show struggles to retain audiences during a competitive news landscape.
What's behind the headline?
The decline in CBS Evening News ratings highlights deeper issues within the network's news division. The show’s recent format shifts, such as increased focus on lighter segments like animal stories and meteor sightings, suggest a strategic misstep amid a competitive landscape dominated by ABC and NBC. The ratings drop below 4 million signals a potential crisis, with insiders warning of a 'death spiral' if audience retention does not improve. The internal unrest, including staff buyouts and leadership tensions, indicates a fragile environment. The network’s attempt to refresh the show with cosmetic changes, like background reconfigurations, will likely prove insufficient. The core problem lies in the failure to deliver compelling enterprise journalism that resonates with viewers seeking substantive news, especially during a period of heightened geopolitical tension. The upcoming weeks will determine whether CBS will replace Harvey or overhaul its approach entirely, but the current trajectory suggests significant upheaval is imminent.
What the papers say
The New York Post reports that CBS News is considering replacing Kim Harvey as executive producer if ratings do not improve, citing insiders who describe the show as a 'hot mess.' Meanwhile, Ariel Zilber from the same publication notes that ratings have fallen to about 3.83 million, with insiders blaming recent time changes and format issues. The Independent highlights the show's rough start, including technical glitches and social media mockery, and notes that CBS's digital audience is also shrinking. Both sources agree that the show’s decline is linked to leadership and content strategy, with insiders criticizing the focus on light segments over enterprise reporting. The articles contrast the network’s internal struggles with the broader competitive pressures from ABC and NBC, which continue to outperform CBS in both total and key demographic viewers.
How we got here
CBS Evening News has been undergoing a series of leadership and format changes since October 2025, when new editor-in-chief Bari Weiss took over. The show replaced previous anchors with Tony Dokoupil in January, aiming to boost ratings. However, ratings have continued to decline, falling below 4 million viewers for several weeks, partly attributed to recent time changes and format criticisms. Insiders report internal unrest and a lack of enterprise reporting, with some blaming Harvey's leadership style and content choices for the show's struggles.
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Bari Weiss is an American opinion writer and editor. From 2013 until 2017 she was an op-ed and book review editor at The Wall Street Journal. From 2017 to 2020, Weiss was an op-ed staff editor and writer about culture and politics at The New York Times.
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Tony Dokoupil is an American broadcast journalist, known for his work as a co-anchor of CBS This Morning. He was also a news correspondent for CBS News and MSNBC.