1 of 1- RadioActive
- Moderator
Offline 
CBS News' Main Anchor Goes On Vacation - & The Ratings Go Up
What does it say about a relatively brand new network TV anchor that his show's numbers improve when takes his very first vacation in that role? It happened to CBS' Tony Dokoupil, who has only been in the role less than a year.
His replacement - Matt Gutman, a former ABC News reporter - has been filling in for Dokoupil and early results show the ratings for The CBS Evening News were the best they've been in months.
That's not a good sign for the network's newly revamped major news program. It follows a period of turmoil at CBS, that's seen a new Trump-supporting boss being brought in, a huge and controversial shake-up and firings at its flagship "60 Minutes," and concerns about the direction its new owners are taking storied organization.
As one unnamed TV news veteran noted:
“Summer is when the second and third place networks try to make progress against the first place anchor who goes on vacation. In this case, the third place anchor took off for two weeks — a baffling move given his collapsing show — and his substitute outclassed him in the ratings.”
I have a feeling this story isn't over.
‘Awkward’: Tony Dokoupil’s Fill-In Delivers CBS Evening News’ Best Ratings in Four Months
- mace
- Member
Offline
Re: CBS News' Main Anchor Goes On Vacation - & The Ratings Go Up
The Eye Network continues to rule in Daytime [TPIR, Y&R, B&B] and Primetime [NCIS's, FBI's, Survivor} but It continues to be an embarassment in the Wake Up and Evening News timeslots. How embarassing? What ever CBS broadcasts to compete with Today and GMA, [The name has been changed four times] has been in 3rd place since the mid 1980's. As for the Evening News, it has consistently been in 3rd place since 1990.
- RonaldS
- Member
Offline
Re: CBS News' Main Anchor Goes On Vacation - & The Ratings Go Up
I don't believe that news ratings are currently their priority, but rather delivering news with an agenda.
If, as user @mace points out in this thread, ratings are high for weekday afternoons and several prime time shows, that may be enough to support the flagging news broadcasts.
RadioActive wrote:
What does it say about a relatively brand new network TV anchor that his show's numbers improve when takes his very first vacation in that role? It happened to CBS' Tony Dokoupil, who has only been in the role less than a year.
His replacement - Matt Gutman, a former ABC News reporter - has been filling in for Dokoupil and early results show the ratings for The CBS Evening News were the best they've been in months.
That's not a good sign for the network's newly revamped major news program. It follows a period of turmoil at CBS, that's seen a new Trump-supporting boss being brought in, a huge and controversial shake-up and firings at its flagship "60 Minutes," and concerns about the direction its new owners are taking storied organization.
As one unnamed TV news veteran noted:
“Summer is when the second and third place networks try to make progress against the first place anchor who goes on vacation. In this case, the third place anchor took off for two weeks — a baffling move given his collapsing show — and his substitute outclassed him in the ratings.”
I have a feeling this story isn't over.
‘Awkward’: Tony Dokoupil’s Fill-In Delivers CBS Evening News’ Best Ratings in Four Months
- RadioActive
- Moderator
Offline
Re: CBS News' Main Anchor Goes On Vacation - & The Ratings Go Up
The great irony is that the changes they made don't please either side.
For those opposed to the White House, the recent hiring of the new exec. producer is seen a sop to the President and people on the left won't watch the show.
Those in favour of the leader have never trusted CBS News and getting them away from the Fox propganda arm is next to impossible, so winning them over is also a difficult task.
That doesn't leave much reason for those in the middle to tune in. But losing audience when your main man is off does not bode well in either case.
- •
Thread Starter- mace
- Member
Offline
Re: CBS News' Main Anchor Goes On Vacation - & The Ratings Go Up
The great irony is that the changes they made don't please either side.
For those opposed to the White House, the recent hiring of the new exec. producer is seen a sop to the President and people on the left won't watch the show.
Those in favour of the leader have never trusted CBS News and getting them away from the Fox propganda arm is next to impossible, so winning them over is also a difficult task.
That doesn't leave much reason for those in the middle to tune in. But losing audience when your main man is off does not bode well in either case.
So I guess it is the mushy middle aka fly over country that tune in nightly to either ABC's WNT or NBC's NN.