Maurice DuBois, long the face of CBS’ evening broadcast, is out — and the exit has triggered a scramble for a replacement as CBS undergoes a high-stakes overhaul under Bari Weiss.
CBS insiders told the New York Post that the decision to cut DuBois was apparently underway before he went public with his departure — but the timing of his exit stunned leadership, accelerating plans already in motion.
“He went rogue,” a CBS source told the New York Post, referring to DuBois’ choice to announce his exit on Instagram before the network could coordinate its messaging.
Sources describe the post as a surprise, coming shortly after DuBois was reportedly informed that he was no longer part of the long‑term vision for the program.
With DuBois’ final broadcast set for Dec. 18, the network finds itself without a clear anchor for its flagship “Evening News” program.
The urgency to fill the vacancy has reportedly pushed Tony Dokoupil — currently a co‑host of “CBS Mornings” — into the lead for the anchor chair.
But even for Dokoupil, the path isn’t guaranteed. CBS sources admit contract negotiations are “going into high gear,” but stress that nothing is final.
As one insider put it, “It’s a game of chess… It all depends on where the chips fall.”
Behind the scenes, the shake‑up reflects broader ambitions by Weiss and top management to rebrand CBS News, but the constraints are real. Big-name anchors at rival networks like Fox News are reportedly out of reach due to long-term contracts and CBS’ own limited budget.
That leaves Weiss banking on internal talent, reshuffles, and hope — a risky bet given the network’s recent track record. Co-anchors have already churned rapidly: earlier this year, John Dickerson also announced his exit, thinning the roster further, as the New York Post noted.
For viewers and critics skeptical of CBS’s institutional leanings, the overhaul sets up a troubling question: can a network long viewed as part of the establishment really fix itself from within?
There’s a real possibility this amounts to little more than cosmetic changes — a reshuffling of faces without substantive shifts in tone or editorial direction.
If Dokoupil does land the evening anchor spot, CBS may claim victory, but watchers may remain unconvinced. The frequency of anchor turnover underscores a deeper instability, not renewal.
As of now, CBS has declined comment and offered no public timeline for a stable new anchor lineup. The network’s top brass appears to be scrambling behind closed doors.
For a broadcast once central to American nightly news cycles, the current vacuum raises serious doubts about whether leadership changes under Weiss will amount to anything more than noise at the anchor desk.
The coming weeks will be telling. If “Evening News” returns swiftly with a polished front man, the overhaul may buy time.
If not, the disruption could mark another step in the network’s slide from mainstream relevance.
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