Today's Business Headlines: 03/18/26
Executive producer Kim Harvey, who has overseen the nightly broadcast since last August, will ultimately take the fall unless she can pull the network’s flagship show out of the abyss, insiders said. CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss installed Dokoupil as anchor in January — replacing co-anchors John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois — in hopes of reviving ratings that had slid under 4 million.
“CBS Evening News” hosted by Tony Dokoupil has hit a new ratings low, causing insiders to speculate that the show’s executive producer could be on the chopping block.Dokoupil’s debut drew 4.4 million viewers and reached a ratings high of 4.6 million in late January, but viewership has steadily declined since — sinking to 3.8 million viewers for the week ending March 13, according to Nielsen ratings. “It’s pretty terrible. Once you’re under 4 million, you’ve got to be worried that you’re in a death spiral,” said one CBS insider. “If they can’t retain an audience in the middle of a war, God help you when the war ends.”Dem strategist Carville's stunning prediction that Trump will resign next year after midtermsSome insiders griped that “CBS Evening News” is just “too soft” under Harvey’s direction. This week, the show ran a segment on a meteor sighting, and it has consistently closed the show with cute animal segments — which one source described as played out. “It’s animal story overload,” the source said. “Kim’s thing is animals. She’s turning Tony into the animal anchor.” What’s lacking is enterprise reporting, the person added, noting that one bright spot for the show was a recent hospice fraud investigation that Weiss pushed Harvey to put on the program.A second CBS News source said, “The show has lost over a half a million viewers in three months. You’ve got to sacrifice somebody to the ratings gods.” In contrast, top-rated “ABC World News Tonight” reeled in 8.5 million viewers, followed by “NBC Nightly News,” which captured just over 6.5 million viewers. When ratings fall below a certain threshold — like they have at “CBS Evening News” — top brass begin to tinker with the graphics, set or programming before chopping the executive producer, sources noted. This week, “CBS Evening News” changed the background, flipping the camera around to show Dokoupil presenting the news in front of a dark blue world map. Audiences previously saw the newsroom in the background with a tight shot on Dokoupil, creating a more old-school look.“It is ludicrous to suggest that a show’s executive producer could be replaced because we changed a camera angle,” a spokesperson for the network told The Post. “We’re excited about the new version of the CBS Evening News, and thrilled that our viewers are, too,” the person added, noting Dokoupil has averaged higher audience numbers than the show drew for roughly the last 10 weeks of 2025.CBS editor in chief Bari Weiss brought Dokoupil in to anchor the “Evening News,” which has struggled in the ratings as of late.But the cosmetic changes aren’t going to turn around the show’s sinking, last-place ratings, sources said — speculating that replacing Harvey is the next logical step.Harvey, who was promoted to top producer in August, helmed the last few months of Dickerson and DuBois’ disastrous tenure. She took over fromCibrowksi and senior vice president of editorial Wendy Fisher chose a more deferential person to lead the show — someone who would follow their orders — according to sources with knowledge of the matter.Sources said Dokoupil started off at a disadvantage as anchors usually pick their top producers, who in turn take cues from the anchor. Sources close to Dokoupil said the anchor has sung Harvey’s praises and works well with her. Harvey aside, some critics said that the ratings slide is also Weiss’s fault, noting that she tapped Dokoupil despite his sore lack of experience anchoring on his own.Another challenge is keeping viewers’ attention with compelling reports that are unique to the show. While Weiss, who took the network’s helm in October, has said she wants to invest more in investigative journalism, the goal is yet to yield results. With more layoffs looming, insiders wonder how CBS News will simultaneously revamp marquee shows like “60 Minutes” and “CBS Mornings” while beefing up investigative storytelling — something that has suffered under previous leadership — sources told The Post. “The one thing that CBS had going for it was enterprise and investigative journalism, and most nights, they are not leveraging this,” said one insider, who noted that investigative journalism has largely flailed at the network in recent years amid cuts and a revolving door of new bosses.Desperate Hochul begs wealthy New Yorkers to come back — as Mamdani pressures her to hike their taxesGwyneth Paltrow had to be ‘sewn into’ her slit-up-to-there Oscars 2026 dress — and wasn’t ‘able to pee’ all night"CBS Evening News" hosted by Tony Dokoupil has hit a new ratings low, causing insiders to speculate that the show's executive producer could be on the chopping block.CBS editor in chief Bari Weiss brought Dokoupil in to anchor the"Evening News," which has struggled in the ratings as of late.Stream It Or Skip It: 'Imperfect Women' On Apple TV, Where A Murder Unearths Secrets Among A Group Of Longtime Friends
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