Norah O'Donnell To Step Down From 'CBS Evening News,' After Large Salary Cut
CBS News anchor Norah O'Donnell is stepping down as anchor of "CBS Evening News." O'Donnell informed staffers in a memo on Tuesday that she would remain at the network as a correspondent.
"After this year’s election, I’ve decided I will be leaving my role as anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News to take on a new position at the network. We just celebrated an amazing five years together. I love what I do, and I am so fortunate to work with the best journalists and people in the business," O'Donnell, who took over the role in 2019, wrote.
"This presidential election will be my seventh as a journalist, and for many of us in this business we tend to look at our careers in terms of these milestone events."
Television journalist Norah O'Donnell. (Photo by Gary Gershoff/WireImage)
A subsequent report from Puck News cites sources with knowledge who do not expect CBS to replace O'Donnell with a single anchor. The expectation is that the network will fill the role with an ensemble cast of cheaper anchors.
That would mark a substantial shift in the history of broadcast news.
For decades, the lead anchor positions at CBS, NBC, and ABC for the 6:30 p.m. time slot were among the most sought-after roles in media. Leading a national newscast in the evening was on par with hosting a primetime show on cable news.
However, the position has diminished over the past decade – particularly on CBS, which routinely trails the other two networks in viewership. For reference, O'Donnell averaged 4.3 million viewers last week, compared to 7.6 million for David Muir (ABC) and 6.2 million for Lester Holt (NBC).
Social media and podcasting ease the necessity for viewers to wait until the evening to hear about the news of the day.
CBS had also grown disgruntled with O'Donnell. She and CBS struggled to come to terms on a new deal in 2022, resulting in her taking a pay cut from $8 million a year to $3.8 million.
During negotiations, the network reportedly offered O'Donnell's job to former NBC anchor Brian Williams. Williams turned down the job, believing he'd land at CNN+. You know the rest…
"In her new role, Norah will have the time and the support to deliver even more of the exceptional stories she is known for across our shows and streams, across CBS Network and Paramount+," Wendy McMahon, the chief executive of CBS News, Stations and CBS Media Ventures, said in a separate memo to staffers.
"She will have the real estate and flexibility to leverage big bookings on numerous platforms, including primetime specials, 60 Minutes, CBS News Sunday Morning, and more."