{"id":2581706,"date":"2026-03-19T11:48:59","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T15:48:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/flagship-cbs-news-show-sinks-to-new-low-top-producer-reportedly-on-the-hot-seat\/"},"modified":"2026-03-19T11:51:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T15:51:16","slug":"flagship-cbs-news-show-sinks-to-new-low-top-producer-reportedly-on-the-hot-seat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/flagship-cbs-news-show-sinks-to-new-low-top-producer-reportedly-on-the-hot-seat\/","title":{"rendered":"Flagship CBS News Show Sinks to &#8216;New Low&#8217; &#8211; Top Producer Reportedly on the Hot Seat"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">32<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fflagship-cbs-news-show-sinks-to-new-low-top-producer-reportedly-on-the-hot-seat%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2581706&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The piece discusses CBS News under editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, who took over in October 2025 and has implemented sweeping changes that have sparked considerable turnover and pushback from on-air talent. It notes that manny departures have been voluntary as staff bristle at the shakeup, and a New York Post report suggests more major changes could be coming, including the potential ouster of top CBS Evening News producer Kim Harvey amid sliding ratings.<\/p>\n<p>Ratings are a central focus: CBS Evening News has fallen below 4 million viewers, a drop described as a \u201cdeath spiral\u201d by insiders. Five days ending March 13 averaged about 3.83 million total viewers and 468,000 in the 25-54 demo, compared wiht ABC World news Tonight\u2019s roughly 8.48 million and 1.03 million in 25-54, and NBC Nightly News\u2019s 6.51 million and 946,000 in the demo. Weiss has already reshaped the lineup,bringing Tony Dokoupil as the new anchor; while his debut drew over 4 million viewers,the ratings have continued to decline. Critics attribute some of the turmoil to behind-the-scenes chaos and to Harvey\u2019s tendency to end broadcasts with softer, animal-focused segments, which some sources view as a misalignment with the show\u2019s tone.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>It&rsquo;s no secret that new CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss has made some sweeping, sometimes-unpopular changes since taking over the beleaguered network in October 2025.<\/p>\n<p>Perhaps unsurprisingly, there&rsquo;s been quite a bit of turnover at CBS News of late, as all sorts of network personalities <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/60-minutes-journalist-revolts-new-cbs-leadership-yanks-pro-illegal-alien-segment\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">continue to bristle<\/a> under Weiss&rsquo; changes.<\/p>\n<p>Most of the turnover has come <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/report-veteran-cbs-reporter-quit-network-refused-obsess-jan-6-anniversary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">voluntarily<\/a> from now-former CBS News employees who&rsquo;ve taken umbrage with Weiss&rsquo; shakeup.<\/p>\n<p>But a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/woman-who-tried-to-wreck-desantis-accused-researcher-who-challenged-her-of-sexual-harassment-report\/\" title=\"Woman Who Tried To Wreck DeSantis Accused Researcher Who Challenged Her Of Sexual Harassment: Report\">blistering report<\/a> from the <a href=\"https:\/\/nypost.com\/2026\/03\/18\/media\/top-cbs-evening-news-producer-may-be-on-chopping-block-as-ratings-plummet-to-new-low-sources\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">New York Post<\/a> suggested that more changes could be coming for top CBS News veterans &mdash; and at least one such change may not be so voluntary this time around.<\/p>\n<p>The report claimed that the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/prageru-understanding-ayn-rand\/\" title=\"PragerU: Understanding Ayn Rand\">top producer<\/a> for &ldquo;CBS Evening News,&rdquo; Kim Harvey, could soon be on the chopping block as the network&rsquo;s flagship show saw its viewership &ldquo;plummet to a new low.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadAnyclip() { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst container=document.getElementById(\"anyclipvideo\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!container) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=\"https:\/\/player.anyclip.com\/anyclip-widget\/lre-widget\/prod\/v1\/src\/lre.js\"; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"pubname\", \"westernjournalcom\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute(\"widgetname\", \"001w000001jULVcAAO_M12924\");  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ append inside the container so player shows in correct spot \t\t\t\t\t\tcontainer.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadAnyclip(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #anyclipvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#anyclipvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>Harvey, who&rsquo;s been with the network since August, was described by unnamed sources as being framed as the fall guy for the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/study-media-gives-biden-less-negative-coverage-than-any-president-on-record\/\" title=\"STUDY: Media Gives Biden Less Negative Coverage Than Any President On Record\">sagging ratings<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>While it remains to be seen what Weiss will do with Harvey, the struggles of &ldquo;CBS Evening News&rdquo; are inarguable.<\/p>\n<p>As <a href=\"https:\/\/variety.com\/2026\/tv\/news\/cbs-evening-news-ratings-drop-below-4-million-tony-dokoupil-1236691560\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Variety<\/a> noted Tuesday, &ldquo;CBS Evening News&rdquo; ratings plummeted to under 4 million viewers.<\/p>\n<p>The entertainment outlet reported: &ldquo;The overall audience for the program for the five days ended March 13 stood at nearly 3.83 million, according to data from Nielsen, and at 468,000 among viewers between 25 and 54, the demographic most coveted by advertisers.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Those numbers look even worse when compared to the show&rsquo;s peers on other networks.<\/p>\n<p>In that same time frame, ABC&rsquo;s &ldquo;World News Tonight&rdquo; brought in an average of roughly 8.48 million viewers, along with 1.03 million viewers in the 25-54 demo. &ldquo;NBC Nightly News&rdquo; drew an average of 6.51 million viewers, and 946,000 in the coveted demo.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s pretty terrible. Once you&rsquo;re under 4 million, you&rsquo;ve got to be worried that you&rsquo;re in a death spiral,&rdquo; one CBS insider told the New York Post. &ldquo;If they can&rsquo;t retain an audience in the middle of a war, God help you when the war ends.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It feels like a hot mess every night,&rdquo; a second <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/cdc-to-release-revised-guidance-reducing-covid-19-quarantine-time-from-14-days-to-7-10\/\" title=\"CDC to release revised guidance reducing COVID-19 quarantine time from 14 days to 7-10\">source told<\/a> the outlet, noting the general chaos behind the scenes of &ldquo;CBS Evening News&rdquo; after a number of producers quit when buyouts were offered in February.<\/p>\n<p>Of the many alleged criticisms of Harvey, her propensity for ending the program with a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >softer news segment &#038;mdash<\/a>; often featuring cute animals &mdash; was cited as a big one.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s animal story overload,&rdquo; the first source told the New York Post. &ldquo;Kim&rsquo;s thing is animals.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Weiss has already put &ldquo;CBS Evening News&rdquo; through a number of changes since taking over.<\/p>\n<p>She recently installed Tony Dokoupil as the new anchor for her flagship show. According to Variety, Dokoupil &mdash; despite some <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/watch-new-cbs-evening-news-anchor-struggles-awkward-gaffes-debut-broadcast\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">growing pains<\/a> &mdash; began his new role by bringing in over 4 million viewers.<\/p>\n<p>But that number has steadily declined to under 4 million, which Variety describes as &ldquo;a critical demarcation point that previously spurred alarm at the Paramount Skydance news division.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Since taking over CBS News as editor-in-chief in October 2025, Bari Weiss has pushed through broad, sometimes controversial changes, leading to substantial turnover as staff push back. The New York Post has floated the possibility of more upheaval, including at least one high-profile departure that may not be voluntary: Kim Harvey, the top producer of CBS Evening News, could be ousted as the show\u2019s ratings slump further.<\/p>\n<p>CBS Evening News has seen its audience shrink to troubling levels. For the five days ended March 13, the program averaged about 3.83 million viewers overall, with roughly 468,000 in the coveted 25-54 demographic. That\u2019s far below competitors: ABC\u2019s World News Tonight averaged about 8.48 million viewers and 1.03 million in 25-54, while NBC Nightly News drew about 6.51 million total viewers and 946,000 in the 25-54 group. An insider called the situation \u201cpretty terrible,\u201d warning that dropping below 4 million could trigger a dangerous spiral. Behind the scenes, chaos and a number of buyouts in February have left many producers in flux, with some criticizing Harvey for ending the program on softer, animal-focused segments-an approach described by one source as \u201canimal story overload.\u201d Weiss has already reshaped the lineup, including bringing Tony Dokoupil to head CBS Evening News. He opened with strong early ratings-over 4 million-but those numbers have since declined, which Variety notes as a worrisome signal for the news operation<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2581707,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/CBS-news-tanks.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[34532,76137,76138,36546,45359],"class_list":["post-2581706","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-cbs-news","tag-flagship-show","tag-hot-seat","tag-media-controversy","tag-television-news"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/CBS-news-tanks.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2581706","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2581706"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2581706\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2581710,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2581706\/revisions\/2581710"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2581707"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2581706"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2581706"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2581706"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}