Despite CBS News' hype, Tony Dokoupil's first week as evening anchor is a ratings dud

[highplainsdem]

Source: Independent

Compared to the same week last year, which saw Norah O’Donnell wrapping up her run as anchor with coverage of the California wildfires and the leadup to Donald Trump’s second inauguration, Dokoupil’s debut was down 20 percent in total viewership and 27 percent in the advertising demographic.

Meanwhile, compared to the debut week of the co-anchor duo Maurice DuBois and John Dickerson, who Dokoupil replaced after they spent less than a year behind the desk, CBS Evening News declined 23 percent in the adult demo and 13 percent in total viewership.

Nielsen also shows that when compared to the first quarter of last year, which largely included the DuBois/Dickerson team that oversaw sinking ratings at the weeknight program, the Dokoupil version was down 9 percent in total viewers and 19 percent in the 25-54 demographic.

-snip-

Losing ground every night of the week, CBS Evening News fell under 4 million viewers on Friday and saw a decline of 15 percent in total viewership and 29 percent in the demographic compared to Monday. Additionally, Monday night’s broadcast at the start of week two of Dokoupil’s reign was down 8 percent week-over-week in total viewership and flat in the demo.

Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/cbs-evening-news-ratings-tony-dokoupil-b2900487.html

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Much more at the link. No paywall.

[sboatcar]

1. This seems to happen when non-ultraconservative companies do this

They try to pander to the right, who will never watch their news, and end up alienating their core demographic. Same thing happened to target.

[BaronChocula]

14. Decisions made by people who should have stayed in the mailroom

I've seen it while working for networks/shows who wanted to attract younger viewers for content younger people didn't care for in the first place. These honchos couldn't just be happy with and focus on their own niche.

It's also telling that it seems like there are more organizations trying to attract magas than trying to attract normal or progressive people. Cautionary tale.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

2. CBS Evening News viewers tune out en masse amid MAGA-approved makeover

This makes me smile. Katy Tur's husband is doing as well as can be expected

CBS Evening News viewers tune out en masse amid MAGA-approved makeover

www.rawstory.com/cbs-evening-...

— Charles (@kemet2000.bsky.social) 2026-01-14T00:34:23.451Z

https://www.rawstory.com/cbs-evening-news/

Tony Dokoupil's makeover of the "CBS Evening News" landed with a thud in its first week.

All the buzz around Dokoupil's takeover of the storied show hasn't translated into ratings gold, Vanity Fair reported Tuesday, citing data from Nielsen. In the anchor's first week, viewership plummeted 23% compared to a year ago, pulling in just 4.17 million viewers versus the 5.4 million who tuned in to Norah O'Donnell's coverage of California wildfires and Trump's inauguration.

The advertiser-coveted 25-54 demographic tanked 23%, dropping from 690,000 to 533,000 viewers, according to the report.

Dokoupil's numbers look even worse compared to his competition.

ABC's "World News Tonight" saw 8.1 million viewers, while NBC's "Nightly News" grabbed 6.73 million.

The dismal ratings come after Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss gambled big on Dokoupil to revolutionize the broadcast after the program's two-anchor format with Maurice DuBois and John Dickerson hemorrhaged viewers. Dokoupil fumbled during his first official broadcast and flubbed awkward segments defending vaccine policy changes and federal shootings.

[Cha]

17. TY LMPV... More Good News for C BS'

FAFO.

[Marie Marie]

18. Katy and Tony - both light weights in the journalistic world but somehow they both failed up.

[creeksneakers2]

19. Nothing to do with Katy Tur

Gossip pages said she argued with him about it until they had so set it aside to save their marriage.

[FarPoint]

3. May the anchor of no viewership

take the entire propaganda news media to the abyss.... I know I won't watch them.

[wolfie001]

4. What a toady bootlicker

[MLWR]

5. "Tony Dokoupil's first week as evening anchor is a ratings dud"

If any DUers tuned in to see what was happening, they know there is a good reason for the ratings tanking. Unless you are a MAGAt, it's very hard to stomach.

[RedWhiteBlueIsRacist]

6. CBS Evening was my household's 'go to' news source for decades. No more.

I refuse to watch slanted crap at news time. Like Jack Webb used to say, just the facts ma'am.

[Prairie Gates]

7. Yeah, but that happens a lot

Tucker Carlson was a first few months dud in O'Reilly's slot, and Jesse Watters was a dud in his spot at first as well.

[Dawson Leery]

8. Push those ratings down.

Fox "News" 2.0.

[obnoxiousdrunk]

9. Thank you for the good news.

[Ray Bruns]

10. You mean airing Fox News Light isn't a winning strategy?

[Kaleva]

13. Considering that Fox News itself has far fewer viewers

[PatSeg]

11. Geez CBS

Your audience has to be more than one angry man in the White House. How did you think you would survive by pissing off so many of your viewers? The stupidity is stunning.

[chowmama]

12. Why would I tune in to a 'news' program to learn exactly nothing?

He promised fewer experts/educated people on any subject, lots of 'ordinary people' opinions, both siderism, happy news and human interest.

This isn't news. This is overcooked unflavored mush that will keep the fascists off his (and CBS') back. It's not worth having to sit through the ads. If he was ever a journalist, he's lost all credentials and credibility now. And it's his own fault.

[Cha]

15. Good.. FAFO C BS.

[FakeNoose]

16. Our local CBS affiliate in Pittsburgh (KDKA) is actually quite good for a local news program

I often tune in for the local news on KDKA, and I might wander away when the national news show comes on. It depends on whatever else is going on. Sometimes I'm making dinner and not watching anything.