John Dickerson, Maurice DuBois to anchor "CBS Evening News" after election as show returns to New York
After the presidential election, award-winning journalists John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois will anchor the "CBS Evening News" as the show returns to the CBS Broadcast Center in New York.
Margaret Brennan, CBS News' chief foreign affairs correspondent and moderator of "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," will regularly lead coverage from Washington, D.C., when news breaks on the political and foreign affairs fronts. Lonnie Quinn is being named chief weathercaster for the show and will deliver the latest weather reporting and forecasts from the new AR/VR studio in New York.
Norah O'Donnell will continue to anchor the broadcast and lead the network's political coverage through the election. She will then move into an expanded role as a CBS News senior correspondent focusing on longform reporting and interviews across CBS and Paramount, including primetime specials, on "CBS Sunday Morning," "60 Minutes," Paramount+ and more.
"We want to thank Norah for her exceptional work on the Evening News over the past five years, and we are grateful she has decided to continue leading our coverage through the election," said Wendy McMahon, president and CEO of CBS News & Stations and CBS Media Ventures. "Norah's new role will give her the opportunity to contribute across CBS and Paramount, allowing us to see more of the groundbreaking stories and interviews that have been the hallmark of her career. Her superpower lies in her ability to secure and deliver big interviews and newsmaking stories that set the news cycle and capture the cultural zeitgeist. We look forward to elevating and showcasing Norah's reporting now and in the future."
McMahon continued: "With Norah's decision, we began reimagining and redesigning the Evening News. The strength of CBS News has always been in its ensemble of journalists, both in front of and behind the camera, and our goal with John, Maurice, Margaret and Lonnie at the Evening News is to elevate the best in their fields every night for our viewers. In addition to this ensemble team, we look forward to welcoming '60 Minutes' correspondents to file for the 'CBS Evening News' when they have news to break; for decades this was routine, so it will be again."
The broadcast's long-standing, weekly "On the Road" stories from CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman and the newly installed "Eye on America" reports from Jim Axelrod and his team will continue as signature segments on the show. Additional CBS News correspondents will join this team to contribute regularly to the broadcast and offer their subject-matter expertise and reporting on key topics in the news.
As part of today's announcement, McMahon named "60 Minutes" executive producer Bill Owens as the supervising producer of the "CBS Evening News" when it moves to New York. Owens will continue to oversee the Sunday newsmagazine, the #1 news program in America for 50 straight seasons, while carrying the editorial rigor and storytelling excellence of "60 Minutes" to "CBS Evening News."
"Bill Owens is one of the industry's most successful and respected journalists. '60 Minutes' and the 'CBS Evening News' are two of our most important franchises that help guide the editorial conscience of our news organization," said McMahon. "We've acknowledged the power of coming together to create our future, and harnessing our most powerful franchises and leaders is how we win and better serve the audience. '60 Minutes' is of course the gold standard in journalism, and the importance of the Evening News as our flagship evening broadcast cannot be overstated. Bill will be instrumental in shaping the future of both broadcasts, while also enhancing our editorial capabilities and decision-making across CBS News and Stations."
Owens announced that CBS News and "60 Minutes" veteran producer Guy Campanile will become executive producer of the "CBS Evening News." Veteran writer Jerry Cipriano is returning to CBS News as the senior news editor and senior producer of the broadcast. Owens said he will share additional staffing updates in the weeks ahead.
"The Evening News was a defining part of my career and it remains the broadcast of record. From Cronkite until today, it has been a source of trusted journalism and storytelling in America's homes. Moving the Evening News back to New York and working with John, Maurice and Margaret and all of CBS News' best journalists to deliver a program that prioritizes good writing and storytelling is exciting," said Owens. "This broadcast won't be the traditional headlines that move from one clipped story to the next. There will be a new format and cadence for how we deliver the news, and Guy and Jerry are the best partners to do this with."
"The mission statement is simple: every story we tell must be additive, distinctive and elegant," said Campanile. "We refuse to waste the audience's time. Our viewers can expect a premium broadcast featuring the very best of CBS News digging for new information on important stories of the day and providing critical context. We will be relentless."
In addition to "CBS Evening News" duties, Dickerson will continue anchoring on CBS News 24/7, CBS News' free national streaming service, and serving as CBS News' chief political analyst and senior national correspondent. DuBois and Quinn will continue to have a regular presence across WCBS. Brennan will continue as the moderator of "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" and CBS News' chief foreign affairs correspondent contributing across the network.