Later this year, the CBS EVENING NEWS will move to New York and feature a new look and format, along with an ensemble team of journalists and new editorial leaders, it was announced today by Wendy McMahon, president and CEO of CBS News and Stations and CBS Media Ventures.
After the presidential election, journalists John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois will anchor the CBS EVENING NEWS from the CBS Broadcast Center. Margaret Brennan, CBS News’ chief foreign affairs correspondent and moderator of FACE THE NATION WITH MARGARET BRENNAN will regularly lead coverage from Washington, D.C., when news breaks on the political and foreign affairs fronts. Also, Lonnie Quinn is being named chief weathercaster for the CBS EVENING NEWS, where he will deliver the latest weather reporting and forecasts from the new AR/VR studio in New York. Quinn joins the ranks of the talented experts CBS News is building within its Weather Network, and he is already appearing on the CBS EVENING NEWS when major weather news happens.
Norah O’Donnell will anchor the broadcast and lead the Network’s political coverage through the election. She will then move into an expanded role as a CBS News senior correspondent focusing on longform reporting and interviews across CBS and Paramount, including primetime specials, CBS NEWS SUNDAY MORNING, 60 MINUTES, Paramount+ and more.
“We want to thank Norah for her exceptional work on the Evening News over the past five years, and we are grateful she has decided to continue leading our coverage through the election,” said McMahon. “Norah’s new role will give her the opportunity to contribute across CBS and Paramount, allowing us to see more of the groundbreaking stories and interviews that have been the hallmark of her career. Her superpower lies in her ability to secure and deliver big interviews and newsmaking stories that set the news cycle and capture the cultural zeitgeist. We look forward to elevating and showcasing Norah’s reporting now and in the future.”
McMahon continued: “With Norah’s decision, we began reimagining and redesigning the Evening News. The strength of CBS News has always been in its ensemble of journalists, both in front of and behind the camera, and our goal with John, Maurice, Margaret and Lonnie at the Evening News is to elevate the best in their fields every night for our viewers. In addition to this ensemble team, we look forward to welcoming 60 MINUTES correspondents to file for the CBS EVENING NEWS when they have news to break; for decades this was routine, so it will be again.”
When the CBS EVENING NEWS moves to New York later this year, Dickerson and DuBois will anchor from the CBS Broadcast Center and Quinn will deliver the latest weather news and forecasts from the new cutting-edge AR/VR studio. Brennan will lead the reporting from Washington, D.C., when political and foreign affairs news breaks. All of them bring a wealth of experience as respected reporters and subject-matter experts who have covered every notable story over the past three decades. Dickerson brings a mastery of politics and democratic principles. DuBois has vast experience anchoring during breaking news and covering major stories from the desk and in the field. Quinn’s reporting during significant weather events and his daily forecasts on WCBS have earned him the audience’s respect. And the hard-hitting interviews and political and foreign affairs coverage Brennan brings to CBS News and FACE THE NATION WITH MARGARET BRENNAN will be integrated into the CBS EVENING NEWS.
The broadcast’s longstanding, weekly “On the Road” stories from CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman and the newly installed “Eye on America” reports from Jim Axelrod and his team will continue as signature segments on the CBS EVENING NEWS. Additional CBS News correspondents will join this team to contribute regularly to the broadcast and offer their subject-matter expertise and reporting on key topics in the news.
As part of today’s announcement, McMahon named 60 MINUTES executive producer Bill Owens as the supervising producer of the CBS EVENING NEWS when it moves to New York. Owens will continue to oversee the Sunday newsmagazine, the #1 news program in America for 50 straight seasons, while carrying the editorial rigor and storytelling excellence of 60 MINUTES to the CBS EVENING NEWS.
“Bill Owens is one of the industry’s most successful and respected journalists. 60 MINUTES and the CBS EVENING NEWS are two of our most important franchises that help guide the editorial conscience of our news organization,” said McMahon. “We’ve acknowledged the power of coming together to create our future, and harnessing our most powerful franchises and leaders is how we win and better serve the audience. 60 MINUTES is of course the gold standard in journalism, and the importance of the Evening News as our flagship evening broadcast cannot be overstated. Bill will be instrumental in shaping the future of both broadcasts, while also enhancing our editorial capabilities and decision-making across CBS News and Stations.”
Owens announced that CBS News and 60 MINUTES veteran producer Guy Campanile will become executive producer of the CBS EVENING NEWS. Veteran writer Jerry Cipriano is returning to CBS News as the senior news editor and senior producer of the broadcast. Owens said he will share additional staffing updates in the weeks ahead.
“The Evening News was a defining part of my career and it remains the broadcast of record. From Cronkite until today, it has been a source of trusted journalism and storytelling in America’s homes. Moving the Evening News back to New York and working with John, Maurice and Margaret and all of CBS News’ best journalists to deliver a program that prioritizes good writing and storytelling is exciting,” said Owens. “This broadcast won’t be the traditional headlines that move from one clipped story to the next. There will be a new format and cadence for how we deliver the news, and Guy and Jerry are the best partners to do this with.”
“The mission statement is simple: every story we tell must be additive, distinctive and elegant,” said Campanile. “We refuse to waste the audience’s time. Our viewers can expect a premium broadcast featuring the very best of CBS News digging for new information on important stories of the day and providing critical context. We will be relentless.”
In addition to their CBS EVENING NEWS duties, Dickerson will continue anchoring on CBS News 24/7, CBS News’ free national streaming service, and serving as CBS News’ chief political analyst and senior national correspondent. DuBois and Quinn will continue to have a regular presence across WCBS. Brennan will continue as the moderator of FACE THE NATION WITH MARGARET BRENNAN and CBS News’ chief foreign affairs correspondent contributing across the Network.