Tony Dokoupil Starts 'CBS Evening News' Run With Pete Hegseth
Variety••entertainment
Key Points:
- Tony Dokoupil made an unexpected early debut as anchor of "CBS Evening News" on Saturday due to a major U.S. attack on Venezuela and the extraction of President Nicolás Maduro, stepping in ahead of his planned Monday start.
- The broadcast focused heavily on elite perspectives, including a lengthy interview with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, without featuring input from average Americans, which contrasts with Dokoupil's stated intent to highlight everyday viewpoints.
- CBS News faces ongoing challenges with "Evening News" ratings, consistently trailing ABC and NBC, compounded by frequent anchor changes and recent management shifts under editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, whose leadership has sparked internal controversy.
- Dokoupil's arrival was announced only three
