CBS is confronting a severe ratings crisis as several of its flagship programmes are on course to post their least-viewed Januarys since records began. Early Nielsen data reveals a stark picture of declining audiences across the network's key news and entertainment offerings.
Historic Lows for Flagship Programmes
The CBS Evening News, now anchored by former CBS Mornings host Tony Dokoupil, attracted a paltry 4.3 million viewers according to preliminary January figures. This represents a troubling downward trajectory for the broadcast.
In the advertiser-coveted demographic of adults aged 25 to 54, the situation appears even more dire. The long-running Late Show with Stephen Colbert managed to pull in just 285,000 viewers within this crucial bracket—the worst performance in the programme's ten-year history. The show's cancellation, scheduled for May, has been attributed to substantial financial losses reportedly reaching $40 million annually.
Weekend Programming Also Struggles
The weekend lineup is facing similar challenges. CBS Saturday Morning, under new hosts Adriana Diaz and Kelly O'Grady, is also pacing towards its lowest-rated January on record. The programme attracted only 1.6 million total viewers, with a mere 207,000 in the key 25-54 demographic.
All three broadcasts have experienced noticeable declines in recent months, a trend occurring as rival networks ABC and NBC continue to gain audience share and strengthen their competitive positions.
Leadership Changes and Rocky Transitions
These developments unfold against the backdrop of an ongoing overhaul at CBS News, spearheaded by new editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, who was appointed in October. Weiss has been responsible for several high-profile personnel changes, including the elevation of Dokoupil, Diaz, and O'Grady to their current anchoring roles.
The transition has proven particularly challenging for the CBS Evening News. Overall ratings for Dokoupil's broadcast have plummeted by approximately 20 percent compared to the same period last year when Norah O'Donnell served as host. Nielsen data for the first full week of January showed Dokoupil lost about a fifth of the valuable 25-54 demographic—a rocky start for the new anchor following what sources describe as a failed bid by Weiss to recruit a more established name.
A Troubling Debut for New Anchor
Dokoupil's tenure began with a noticeably shaky first broadcast, marred by several technical and presentation errors that proved difficult to overlook. The host introduced himself to viewers twice within barely a minute before encountering a series of on-air flubs.
During one segment, Dokoupil announced a feature on Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, only for a photograph of Arizona Senator Mark Kelly to appear on screen. 'To other news, as you just heard from Jill—oh, to other news now. Ah, to Governor Walz—no. We're going to do Mark Kelly. First day—first day, big problems here,' he acknowledged with a semi-joking smile.
The difficulties continued, with the anchor met by unexplained footage and silence after questioning the control room about the segment's direction. 'Are we going to Kelly here or are we going to go to Jonah Kaplan?' Dokoupil asked, before proceeding with the Kelly segment upon seeing the images on screen. He later misidentified Minnesota's nickname as 'the Great Lake State' instead of the correct 'Land of 10,000 Lakes.'
Broader Network Challenges
The week prior to his debut, Dokoupil appeared in a promotional segment vowing to work relentlessly to regain viewer trust. 'On too many stories, the press has missed the story: Because we’ve taken into account the perspective of advocates and not the average American. Or we put too much weight in the analysis of academics or elites, and not enough on you,' he told audiences, just days after his appointment by Weiss.
Weiss herself, who took the reins at CBS in October at the behest of Paramount boss David Ellison, is only three months into her tenure and has never previously led a major newsroom. Her decision to appoint Matt Gutman—a longtime but relatively unknown former ABC journalist—as the network's chief reporter raised eyebrows within the industry.
Executives at ABC reportedly let the correspondent depart without resistance, with multiple sources suggesting the move highlighted Weiss's inexperience. Her highly publicised town hall with Erika Kirk last month also proved to be a ratings disappointment.
Controversial Editorial Decisions
Further controversy emerged when Weiss made the decision to pull a scheduled 60 Minutes segment examining poor conditions at the Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT) in El Salvador—a facility where the Trump administration had been sending suspected illegal immigrants. The move was widely criticised by both industry observers and media insiders.
As CBS continues its turbulent overhaul, the network faces the dual challenge of reversing historic ratings declines while stabilising its leadership and editorial direction. The coming months will prove critical for the broadcaster's future in an increasingly competitive media landscape.
