CBS News has begun to seek an unspecified number of buyouts at “CBS Evening News,” according to two people familiar with the situation, part of a bid to cull some jobs that are not tied to the union agreements that govern some portion of the staff.
The buyouts were offered by Kim Harvey, the executive producer of “CBS Evening News,” according to one of these people, and revelation of them surfaces just 24 hours after Bari Weiss, editor in chief of CBS News, sought to rally staff to a new vision focused on getting CBS News journalism in front of younger, digital audiences. The staff reductions would come just weeks after CBS News launched a new anchor, Tony Dokoupil, on the evening-news program.
CBS News declined to make executives available for comment. Most members of its editorial ranks, including producers, are not covered by union contracts.
According to one of the people familiar with the situation, Dokoupil and Harvey have tried to dissuade management from making any cuts in the “Evening News” force. CBS News has already had its staff cut by larger mandates put in force by parent corporation Paramount Skydance, which has looked to cut costs after purchasing the company from its former controlling shareholders, the Redstone family.
During the Tuesday meeting, Weiss said CBS News needed to do less so-called “commodity” news that people could get from other outlets, and seek instead “to do things that are antimemetic, that are not imitative, that are differentiated, that are things you can’t get anywhere else.” She unveiled a spate of new hires of podcasters who focused less on straight journalism and more on niche fields including politics and medical health. “Right now in America, people are skeptical of institutions, but they trust individuals,” Weiss said.
One staffer suggested in a question at the town hall that “Evening News” staffers were already fearful about keeping their jobs. “Well, at ‘Evening News,’ people are afraid for their jobs and afraid to even speak for fear of retaliation. There has been a chilling effect within our newsroom,” this person asked, as seen in a transcript of the meeting that was made available for review by CBS News. “It feels right now like if we offer feedback, alternatives, or constructive criticism, that we are asking for targets on our backs.”
CBS has appeared to be encouraged by Dokoupil’s start on “Evening News,” which has started to settle into a routine after drawing attention for awkward segments and some on-screen gaffes. Viewership has risen in his first few weeks on air, but the overall audience for the program continues to erode and is down noticeably from the same period a year earlier.
