CBS Evening News Hits Best Ratings in Months While Anchor Tony Dokoupil Is on Vacation
Key Takeaways
- •CBS Evening News achieved its best ratings in 17 weeks by averaging 4.1 million viewers, marking the first time the program surpassed 4 million since March.
- •The ratings milestone was achieved by substitute anchor Matt Gutman while regular host Tony Dokoupil was on summer vacation.
- •This viewership increase occurred during a period of broader struggles for CBS News, including historic low ratings for CBS Mornings and notable staff departures from 60 Minutes.
- •CBS News leadership has navigated ongoing corporate pressure as parent company owner David Ellison seeks Trump administration approval for a Paramount Skydance merger.
- •Dokoupil's tenure as anchor, which began in January, has been characterized by multiple on-air controversies and staff pushback.
CBS Evening News surpassed 4 million viewers last week for the first time since March — but the ratings milestone came while its main anchor, Tony Dokoupil, was away on a two-week summer vacation, according to Status.
The program averaged 4.1 million viewers during substitute anchor Matt Gutman's first week in the chair in July, based on Nielsen ratings data reviewed by Status. That represented the best-rated week for CBS Evening News in 17 weeks. CBS Evening News has long run third among the broadcast networks' flagship evening newscasts, trailing ABC's World News Tonight and NBC's Nightly News, making any crossing of the 4 million threshold a notable data point for the network.
"The ratings victory was not Tony Dokoupil's to claim," Status noted. "Instead, it belonged to Matt Gutman, who has been substituting for Dokoupil while the anchor is out on a two-week summer vacation."
Status characterized the development as an "unexpected and somewhat awkward result" for CBS News.
Broader Ratings Struggles at CBS News
The ratings uptick came during an otherwise difficult summer for the network's news programming. CBS Evening News had fallen below the 4 million viewer threshold in March, as the network underwent what has been described as a MAGA makeover under Bari Weiss. CBS Mornings recorded its lowest-rated week in the program's history in July.
The flagship CBS News program, 60 Minutes, has experienced the most visible disruptions. It lost veteran correspondents including Scott Pelley, Anderson Cooper, Cecilia Vega, and Sharyn Alfonsi, along with a number of producers. CBS also cancelled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert earlier this year.
Those moves coincided with efforts by David Ellison, owner of the network's parent company, to secure the Trump administration's approval for a merger between Warner Bros. Discovery and his company, Paramount Skydance. The merger's approval process has cast a long shadow over CBS News operations, as network leadership navigates both regulatory scrutiny and pressure from an administration that has openly criticized mainstream media outlets.
Dokoupil's Tumultuous Tenure
Weiss installed Dokoupil as an anchor in January. Since then, his tenure has been marked by controversy. He faced a staff revolt over video manifestos he posted about "legacy media," an on-air scolding from Donald Trump, and a public rebuke from Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) after the network aired a Trump interview.
Dokoupil was also mocked for confusing Kanye West with P. Diddy on air. Additionally, a pair of foreign assignments in Taiwan and China collapsed into logistical disasters.
