CBS has found a replacement for John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois for CBS Evening News anchor.
In what marked one of the first shake-ups under Bari Weiss' new leadership at CBS News, in October, John, who joined CBS 16 years ago, announced his departure from the network, and a few weeks later, his co-anchor, who spent 21 years at CBS-owned properties, followed suit.
Now, one month after the conservative opinion journalist was appointed by Donald Trump ally and Paramount Skydance owner David Ellison as editor-in-chief of CBS News, in what marks her first significant move as the department's lead, she has appointed Tony Dokoupil as the former anchors' successor.
© Getty ImagesTony is a familiar face for the network, as he has been hosting its flagship morning program alongside Gayle King and Nate Burleson since 2019, when it was called CBS This Morning (it rebranded to CBS Mornings in 2021).
Both John and Maurice are leaving their posts at the end of December, and Tony will commence the flagship evening news program's new era on Monday, January 5.
In a statement, Bari — who has no prior broadcast experience and who scored her new gig when Paramount Skydance's CEO bought her four-year-old platform The Free Press for $150 million — said: "We live in a time in which many people have lost trust in the media. Tony Dokoupil is the person to win it back."
© GettyShe reiterated a motto that has long been her argument for why she founded The Free Press, as a rebuke to traditional news organizations, ironic now given her new role as leader of one of legacy media's oldest and most quintessential traditional TV news organizations.
"That's because he believes in old-school journalistic values: asking the hard questions, following the facts wherever they lead and holding power to account. Americans hungry for fairness will see that on display night after night," she continued.
Tony himself shared of his new role: "After 20 years in journalism, traveling through all 50 states and talking with people in hundreds of far-flung American places, I realize why a country this big needs a show this ambitious." It is no secret that CBS' low ratings have been a huge struggle for the network in recent years, and though CBS Evening News draws several million viewers each night, it lags behind its competitors at ABC and NBC.
© Getty"The strength of our nation is that we benefit from fair reporting and the open discussion of all ideas. For more than 60 years, the 'Evening News' has been a bedrock of that process. I'm honored to join a fearless team at this important moment, and with what I can promise is a commitment to trust and the plain truth," he added.
© Getty ImagesOver on CBS Mornings Wednesday morning, Tony's co-anchor Gayle — who has recently been marred with rumors she too is possibly leaving the network — said: "Nobody was saying, I hope Tony gets a job, because we don't want you to leave," adding: "But I also think, now that the decision has been made, I think it's a great decision for all of us. Now, what we gonna do guys? What's gonna happen to us?"
Plans for a replacement third CBS Mornings co-anchor remain unclear.
