CBS News has named “CBS Mornings” co-host Tony Dokoupil as its new anchor of “CBS Evening News,” elevating one of editor-in-chief Bari Weiss’ favorite personalities to one of the news organization’s most focal hours.
The network confirmed Dokoupil’s appointment on Wednesday’s “CBS Mornings.”
Dokoupil’s appointment marks the first major programming change in Weiss’ two-month tenure as CBS News’ editor in chief. Since Weiss’ appointment in October following Paramount’s $150 million purchase of the Free Press, Weiss has overseen the departure of CBS News’ standards chief, the exit of both co-hosts of “Evening News” and a wave of layoffs.
It also ends months of speculation over who would anchor the beleaguered primetime hour, which has suffered in the ratings since the appointment of John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois as co-anchors. Weiss reportedly sought to lure cable hosts like Anderson Cooper and Bret Baier to the network, but both are locked into contracts with CNN and Fox News, their respective cable-news homes.
Weiss’ interest in Dokoupil predates her tenure atop CBS News’ masthead. After Dokoupil interviewed author Ta-Nehisi Coates about his book referencing the Israel-Gaza war, Weiss led coverage of CBS News leadership’s admonishment of Dokoupil and defended his pointed questioning of Coates’ position on the war.
On Monday, Weiss also announced the hiring of ABC News’ Matt Gutman as CBS News’ chief correspondent, the first on-air hire at the network under Weiss’ leadership.
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