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Norah O’Donnell’s shock CBS Evening News departure has sparked a show shake-up with two new male anchors set to front a rebooted version of the show from New York City.
O’Donnell, 50, quit her role as anchor and managing editor this week after five years leading the show and 12 years as a network anchor. After the presidential election in November, she will take on a role as a special correspondent for the network.
Maurice DuBois and John Dickerson will head up the show with 60 Minutes Executive Producer Bill Owens stepping in as supervising producer, per THR.
Dubois, 58, has been an anchorman for WCBS-TV in New York City and CBS Network while political correspondent Dickerson, 56, anchors The Daily Report with John Dickerson on the news division’s streaming network.
In a dramatic switch-up, the anchors will be joined by an ‘ensemble team’ of correspondents including political correspondent Face the Nation moderator and chief foreign affairs correspondent Margaret Brennan, Jim Axelrod and On the Road correspondent Steve Hartman, as well as WCBS weather anchor Lonnie Quinn.
Norah O’Donnell’s shock CBS Evening News departure has sparked a show shake-up with two new male anchors set to front a rebooted version of the show from New York City – seen 2022
The reboot will make CBS Evening News more in the style of 60 Minutes – with Guy Campanile to become the new Executive Producer alongside Jerry Cipriano as senior producer.
The show will film from the main newsroom at the CBS Broadcast Center in NYC.
Wendy McMahon, president and CEO of CBS News and stations told the publication: ‘Our goal is to curate what’s important, to offer context and perspective on those headlines in a meaningful way, and to focus on making and then breaking news, to offer original reporting. All of the above, we believe, are things that a viewer can only find on CBS News, that’s the promise, and that’s the commitment.”
Owens added: ‘We know this is going to take a minute, but we’re very sure we can put on an extremely smart broadcast that’s well reported, well thought through, additive, and worth people’s while.
McMahon praised the two new anchors, adding: ‘John Dickerson, obviously his mastery of all things politics is well known, he hosts a nightly show on CBS News 24/7 our streaming channel, which does incredibly well. So in addition to his subject matter expertise, his ability to flow like water from television to streaming and back again is a unique capability, and one we will leverage moving forward.
‘Maurice is one of the best — if not the best — broadcasters in the country. Bill and I both believe that, and he has covered every major story of consequence in his role as we anchor for CBS News New York, he’s also excellent in the field, which will make him, you know, the person to go to when you’re sending someone to a big story.’
DuBois, Dickerson and Brennan previously worked together on coverage of former President Donald Trump’s attempted assassination and President Joe Biden’s decision to drop out of the 2024 election.
Owens added that reports on the show will be a ‘little bit more in-depth, they’re going to be longer, there’s going to be more communication, more back and forth, Q and A with the anchors and the correspondents in the field.’
Maurice DuBois (pictured) and John Dickerson will head up the show with 60 Minutes Executive Producer Bill Owens stepping in as supervising producer, per THR
Dickerson, 56, anchors The Daily Report with John Dickerson on the news division’s streaming network
In a memo shared with CBS New staff on Thursday, McMahon said the changes represented ‘the opportunity to redefine television for an evolving audience.’
‘We recognize there’s a lot here. These are big changes, and they are happening amid a turbulent political season and heightened conflicts overseas. But what we know is that CBS News is at its best when we come together to honor our purpose and mission as journalists to meet the audience where they are today — and ensure we exceed their expectations for tomorrow.’
Per THR, O’Donnell will become CBS News special correspondent at the network – conducting ‘interviews and other reports for CBS News programming with appearances on CBS Evening News and 60 Minutes.’
O’Donnell – who faced allegations of toxic behavior in 2022 – penned in a memo to staff on Tuesday obtained by the outlet: ‘There’s so much work to be proud of!
‘But I have spent 12 years in the anchor chair here at CBS News, connected to a daily broadcast and the rigors of a relentless news cycle. It’s time to do something different
‘Beyond that, I’m pleased to share that I have made a long-term commitment to CBS News to continue to do the same storytelling and big interviews that have been our hallmark.’
O’Donnell will become CBS News special correspondent at the network – conducting ‘interviews and other reports for CBS News programming with appearances on CBS Evening News and 60 Minutes – pictured July 16
‘It’s time to do something different. This presidential election will be my seventh as a journalist, and for many of us in this business we tend to look at our careers in terms of these milestone events.
Her replacement has not yet been announced.
O’Donnell replaced Jeff Glor as anchor and managing editor on CBS Evening News in July 2019 – leading the broadcast from Washington, D.C.
O’Donnell served as CBS This Morning co-host from 2012 and before that, CBS News’ chief White House correspondent during President Obama’s administration.
Wendy McMahon, president and CEO of CBS News and Stations wrote in a memo to staff: ‘In this new role, Norah will have the time and the support to deliver even more of the exceptional stories she is known.’
‘Norah’s superpower is her ability to secure and then masterfully deliver unparalleled interviews and stories that set the news cycle and capture the cultural zeitgeist.
‘How many people can effortlessly shift from field-anchoring on an aircraft carrier in the Red Sea to sitting down with Bono and Dolly Parton? Norah’s work here is legendary, and she has several major interviews in the works that will be equally memorable and momentous.’
Sources told the publication O’Donnell’s departure is not related to the proposed takeover of Paramount Global by Skydance.
O’Donnell penned in a memo to staff on Tuesday: ‘There’s so much work to be proud of! ‘But I have spent 12 years in the anchor chair here at CBS News, connected to a daily broadcast and the rigors of a relentless news cycle. It’s time to do something different’ – pictured with Pope Francis
She was previously CBS This Morning co-host from 2012 and before that, CBS News’ chief White House correspondent during President Obama’s administration
Earlier this month CBS News president Ingrid Ciprian-Matthews stepped down from her role into a senior adviser position for the 2024 election.
Ciprian-Matthews wrote in a memo reviewed by Variety: ‘Some may be asking why I’m announcing this now. We all know our industry and company are going through a transformation and a number of short- and long-term decisions need to be made.
‘I do not want to be disingenuous with any of you about who should drive these decisions. I’ve always leaned into my integrity and my values, and I felt it was important to be transparent at this juncture about my plans.’
In April 2022, following reports that she could be replaced, O’Donnell re-signed with CBS News for $3.8 million a year, down from her previous $8 million package, sources told the New York Post at the time.
One source told the outlet that CBS execs gave O’Donnell a ‘low ball’ offer which they expected her to reject, and were taken by surprise when she accepted.
It followed numerous reports that O’Donnell had clashed with CBS News co-president Neeraj Khemlani, a no-nonsense, budget-cutting exec who had reportedly cast a wide net searching for her potential replacement.
A spokesperson for CBS News referred DailyMail.com to a statement provided to the Post, which denied that Khemlani had sought to replace O’Donnell.
‘Wrong again. Neeraj led the effort to retain and re-sign about a dozen of our biggest anchors and correspondents over the last year including Norah O’Donnell and Gayle King – and recruited a few new ones like Nate Burleson and Robert Costa,’ the statement said.
In March 2022, speculation ran rampant in the industry that CBS might axe O’Donnell to her alleged ‘toxic behavior’ and purported $65,000-a-year wardrobe allowance.
O’Donnell’s publicist Cindi Berger denied the accusations at the time, telling the Post: ‘It’s a clothing allowance, every news anchor has one. That figure is incorrect.’
