CBS News Restructures Under Weiss Leadership Amid Ratings Decline
CBS News is implementing a comprehensive restructuring strategy under Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss, adding 18 new commentators and making significant staffing cuts as the network seeks to reverse declining viewership and expand its political reach.The changes, announced during an all-hands meeting Tuesday, represent a strategic pivot toward cable news-style programming and podcasting platforms, according to internal sources speaking to NPR on condition of anonymity. The network plans to hire commentators similar to those featured on CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News."I'm here to tell you that if we stick to that [focusing on broadcast] strategy, we're toast," Weiss told staff during the meeting, according to audio obtained by Business Insider. "The honest truth is, right now, we are not producing a product that enough people want."Among the new hires are conservative podcasters Niall Ferguson and Patrick McGee, as well as physician Mark Hyman, who maintains close ties to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The appointments reflect the network's effort to attract a more politically diverse audience following Paramount Skydance's $150 million acquisition of Weiss's publication, The Free Press, in October.The restructuring comes amid ongoing challenges for the network. CBS Evening News lost over one million viewers during its inaugural week under new host Tony Dokoupil compared to the same period last year. The network has also faced criticism over editorial decisions, including delaying a 60 Minutes segment about El Salvador's CERCOT prison facility, which correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi characterized as a "political decision."CBS's parent company, Paramount Skydance, has been pursuing acquisition opportunities, including hostile takeover bids for Warner Bros Discovery, which owns CNN. The company's stock declined 2.6 percent in midday trading following the announcement.The network's transformation reflects broader industry pressures as traditional broadcast news competes with digital platforms and politically-aligned cable networks for audience share. CBS has historically ranked last among broadcast evening news programs and continues to lose market share under current leadership.Source: Al Jazeera
