CBS Evening News Revamps Format After Ratings Decline

CBS Evening News is reverting to a more traditional news format just weeks after its January 2025 relaunch, which had adopted a 60 Minutes-style approach with fewer, longer stories. The change follows a consistent decline in ratings, dropping from 5.2 million viewers at launch to around 4.5 million by mid-February. Critics inside CBS have expressed discontent with new co-anchors John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois, citing a lack of viewer familiarity and credibility. The network's president, Wendy McMahon, initiated the overhaul to revitalize the program, but the decision to focus on in-depth reporting has been criticized for ignoring significant news events. Insiders claim the network realized it could not afford to overlook the fast-paced news cycle coming from Washington. CBS News is now restructuring its broadcast to include a higher story count with shorter segments to better engage viewers.