Tony Dokoupil Disaster as ‘CBS Evening News’ Ratings Plummet
What To Know
- CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil has fallen below 4 million viewers for the first time since his January debut.
- The show has seen a decline in the key Adults 25-54 demographic, down 15% from last year.
- Dokoupil and CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss have faced criticism over editorial decisions.
Tony Dokoupil was expected to revive CBS Evening News after stepping into the anchor role in January, but the program has now slipped under 4 million viewers for the first time since his arrival.
According to Variety, citing Nielsen figures, CBS Evening News averaged 3.83 million viewers for the week of March 9. This is the first time the show has dropped below 4 million since Dokoupil took over from Maurice DuBois and John Dickerson on January 5.
In the coveted Adults 25-54 demographic, CBS Evening News averaged 468,000, down from the previous week’s 507,000. The show was also down 15% in the key demo from the same quarter last year.
Compared to its rival evening news shows, ABC’s World News Tonight with David Muir averaged 8.48 million total viewers and 1.03 demo viewers for the week of March 9. Meanwhile, NBC Nightly News with Tom Llamas averaged 6.51 million total viewers and 946,000 in the key demo.
Friday’s edition of CBS Evening News was “retitled,” and so its results were not included in the weekly average.
Dokoupil previously served as co-host of CBS Mornings alongside Gayle King and Nate Burleson. He was promoted to CBS Evening News by CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, who joined the organization last October and immediately went to work putting her stamp on the network.
According to Variety, Dokoupil’s first five days, from January 5 to January 9, averaged nearly 4.17 million, and a subsequent week averaged 4.6 million. However, numbers have fallen in recent weeks and are now back under 4 million, similar to the numbers Dickerson and DuBois were averaging.
Dokoupil and Weiss have both faced criticism for appearing to appease President Donald Trump and his administration. Technical issues plagued the anchor’s debut episode, and he was later criticized for his lenient coverage of the January 6 attacks and for featuring an interview with his own mother on the program.
CBS News has also seen multiple exits in recent weeks, including the departure of top producers and on-air reporters, including Anderson Cooper, who announced he’ll be leaving 60 Minutes at the end of the current season.
CBS Evening News, Weekdays, 6:30/5:30c, CBS
Conversation39 Comments
Please read the TV Insider Community Guidelines.
Register or sign in to join the conversation.
-
R
I don't think it's about Tony D. It's about CBS becoming MAGAfied.
69
-
D
Yes thats what im thinking as well ugh 🤬
3
-
J
I came here to say the same thing!
16
-
M
I agree but Tony Is MAGA
2
-
V
The news is not about news anymore.its too political. Many things happen and all we hear is the same crap.people are tired of listening. With all the kids missing or killed all we hear about is Nancy how they can't find her.
-
-
J
It’s not about Tony. It’s about Bari Weiss & all the changes that most don’t agree with. CBS needs to change Bari Weiss & get back on the right page with their viewers!
36
-
L
100%
2
-
M
Well. Not so fast. The reason Bari was brought in was because CBS was already a sinking ship. She may not be helping the news organization bail water any better, but she isn't the root cause. Dokoupil was moved from “CBS Mornings” to become anchor of the show is because CBS News executives were worried they were falling further behind ABC’s “World News Tonight” and NBC’s “NBC Nightly News.” When Norah O’Donnell ended her tenure at “CBS Evening News” in 2024 is when the downhill slide began.
Weiss may not have the secret sauce, but she's trying to salvage a rancid meal.
-
-
G
They have become fox"news" light. Only a mater of time before they are total MAGA.
26
-
J
I like Tony. Sadly his hands are tied and he’s now bottle fed MAGA approved content. Across the board, I’ve been leaving g most CBS programs. Opting for news and content that is ALLOWED to express multiple points of view.
No one at CBS has been permitted to challenge the party line since Nora O’Donnel left the evening news.
19
-
S
Bari Weiss is destroying CBS. We are consuming news elsewhere since she bent the knee to Trump. Tony is a victim here. He should have known this is a career ending move.
16
-
P
I stop watching CBS once they bent the knee to T. Closed my Paramount+ account and will not watch any new shows!! I used to watch CBS News every night! And then when they took Colbert off, I was done. Maybe that is why numbers are down. Their are plenty of news organizations that cover T’s disasters, I’m not one of them!! I want what real not made up junk!
16
-
T
I agree…it’s not about Tony D. Many have abandoned CBS - it’s a shame.
16
-
L
CBS needs to stop cuddling Donald Trump. They are afraid to report anything negative about him, continuing to change anchor not going to help until whoever is in charge stand up to Donald and get a spind
.
-
-
B
Go MAGA and kiss your station goodbye.
15
-
H
CBS News has ranked 3rd consecutively for years. Tony D., is a good reporter, but he has big shoes to try to fill at the anchor desk & his feet just arent big enough to move the rankings. The network has a lot of internal workings that need to be re-evaluated.
12
-
D
Yes Amen to that 😊👏🏽
1
-
-
D
I love Tony, its not his fault its stupid Maga B.S.
5
-
M
Independent media for us. Stopped watching CBS for it has lost all credibility taking up the looney bin cause, they need some professional mental heath help to overcome the grooming of MAGA. News needs to be trustworthy, factual and insightful not full of false claims.
3
-
D
Tony doesn't fit the mold of a major news anchor. Cooking show maybe. Other great talents available.
3
-
L
People want the truth and not appeasing the White House narrative. I’m out.
Use to love CBS -no more. You speak the truth and I’ll come back.
3
-
G
CBS had a good thing going with their dual-anchor Nightly News. They should have stuck with it and their anchors/studio configuration. If content was the issue, then they could have written their scripts differently to reflect the newer CBS News management's direction change.
2
-
C
You know what they say “ everything trump touches turns to crap”…nothing new here!
2
-
J
1/2 of cbs channels gone from dish
2
-
M
Well who do viewers want maybe ask them.
2
-
M
Bring back Nora.
1
-
-
J
CBS has gone magazine and Tony has been a closet Trump follower. When he to San Francisco asking the mayor about millionaires tax on california (the mayor of SF is stupid) with all the lies and mayhem Donald Trump is created is awful. I was a lifetime CBS news guy. I'm gone to ABC the only network that will even question Trump.
1
-
W
Weiss and Co. have destroyed CBS (See B.S.) - don’t blame Tony. Everything 47 touches dies or goes to shit. Start there.
1
-
M
To promote Tony Dokoupil's promotion to CBS Evening News Bari Weiss sent him to Grand Central with his last name printed on a card to ask passersby if they knew how to pronounce his name. They did not. He co-hosted the CBS Morning Show for nearly SEVEN years. The fact that nobody knew who he was did not speak well for the viewership of that program, for Mr. Dokoupil's reputation or for Ms. Weiss's judgment.
1
-
G
Tony is a damn good reporter what the heck is going on with CBS
1
-
M
I'm ready for CBS evening News to get back to its liberal slant, Trump bashing and start touting the policies of the DNC and how great Obama Biden and Kamala Harris were for the country and how good Democratic policies are for the country.
1
-
V
It’s not about Tony it’s all about cbs upper management
1
-
F
Tony is okay. Problem is content manipulation by Weiss and Ellison.
1
-
B
Love Tony. CBS, not so much.
1
-
R
I've told countless of media ex. how to increase consumer share....but ....when any company/person is committed nto to listen or conform.....can't help.
-
D
Reading the posts here, looks like people don’t watch unless it’s all liberal shit, the same cap and hare people hear on the other channels. Boy if you say anything positive about the president, that’s the end then. I have stopped watching all main media for that reason, we republicans should all start watching CBS for support!!! Screw your liberals and your f… lies!
-
J
I think Tony is a victim to all this crap going on, and he joined the show at a bad time. I watch CBS News at night, and have no problem with either the show or Tony. (The first few days of him on there were rocky at best, but I don't think that was all his fault, either.) Tony himself is personable yet knowledgeable, and he usually ends the show on a light note.
-
K
This network people of color go back in the past like people like Shepard Smith with some body Nancy Chan
-
D
What?
-
Watchlist Easy access to only the shows you care about — all in one simple place
Alerts Only important notifications — when a show is returning, when it becomes available to stream, and more.
Special Offers Exclusive products we release related to your favorite shows and streaming services