00:001.23 million viewers abandoned CBS after MAGA makeover, network now half of ABC's audience.
00:07CBS Evening News fell 23% year-over-year to 4.17 million viewers,
00:13reflecting broadcast news decline, though wildfire coverage boosted last year's Comparison Week baseline.
00:20During Tony DeCouple's January 5-9, 2026 debut, total viewers fell to 4.17 million,
00:27and adults 25-54 dropped 23%, skewed by wildfire-driven 2025 comparisons.
00:36CBS Evening News has lagged rivals, averaging 4.171 million in 2024-2025,
00:44with anchor shifts failing to halt long-term audience erosion across broadcast news.
00:49Paramount Skydance's 2025 free press acquisition reshaped CBS News as Tony DeCouple debuted as
00:56Evening Anchor, drawing 4.17 million viewers amid industry-wide shifts to digital and cable platforms.
01:04CBS Evening News trails ABC and NBC with roughly half ABC's audience, widening ad pressure gaps
01:12and reflecting multi-year structural challenges beyond short-term rating swings.
01:16Tony DeCouple faced debut-week criticism as Hakeem Jeffries faulted a January 6 report,
01:24underscoring editorial tensions at CBS Evening News.
01:28ABC World News Tonight led with 8.08 million.
01:32NBC Nightly News followed at 6.73 million.
01:36Both fell 9% yearly, yet maintained leads over CBS.
01:40CBS Evening News saw YouTube views jump 58% during Tony DeCouple's debut,
01:46but linear audiences, especially adults 25-54, remain weak despite modest gains over all trends.
01:54Critics questioned Tony DeCouple and Barry Weiss's editorial shift at CBS News,
01:59prioritizing average Americans as leadership repositions amid polarization and Nora O'Donnell transition era.
02:07Tony DeCouple's debut modestly beat recent averages and boosted digital gains,
02:13but lagged past CBS launches, reinforcing skepticism about reversing its entrenched third-place position.
02:20CBS faces a pivotal test, balancing broadcast declines and digital growth,
02:24as Barry Weiss's editorial vision is judged on sustaining audiences beyond initial 2026 curiosity.
02:32Editorial shifts at CBS News coincide with Donald Trump's second administration,
02:37as Hakeem Jeffries' January 6 critique debates whether balance informs audiences or creates false equivalencies.
02:45Tony DeCouple led early breaking news, including a reported January 3 operation involving Nicolas Maduro,
02:51as CBS Evening News weighs domestic focus against global coverage depth.
02:56CBS Evening News faces ad pressure, as adults 25-54 fell 23%, squeezing Paramount post-merger,
03:06while younger viewers favor streaming and question Tony DeCouple's average Americans positioning authenticity.
03:12CBS's struggle mirrors broadcast news's crossroads,
03:15relevance amid fragmentation, positioning, and advertiser value,
03:19with 2026 testing whether repositioning reverses decline.
03:23CBS Evening News
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