After months of rumors and behind-the-scenes changes, CBS News has confirmed that Tony Dokoupil will be the new anchor of the network’s flagship show, CBS Evening News.
Dokoupil made the announcement on Wednesday’s (December 10) edition of CBS Mornings, which he currently co-hosts alongside Gayle King and Nate Burleson. Dokoupil joined CBS Mornings in 2019; he previously served as CBS News’ New York-based correspondent and before that worked for NBC News and MSNBC (now MS NOW).
The hiring comes following significant changes at CBS News, with The Free Press co-founder Bari Weiss taking over as the network’s editor-in-chief in October. Since her appointment, Weiss has reportedly been looking to put her stamp on the network, with a particular focus on CBS Evening News.
CBS Evening News is currently co-anchored by John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois, who took the reins from Norah O’Donnell in January 2025. Dickerson announced his decision to leave the show back in October, while DuBois confirmed his exit last week. The pair will broadcast their final show later this month.
“We live in a time in which many people have lost trust in the media. Tony Dokoupil is the person to win it back,” Weiss said in a statement, per The Hollywood Reporter. “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.”
Dokoupil had remained a frontrunner since Weiss began the search for a new anchor of CBS Evening News. Over the past two months, reports emerged that Weiss was also considering putting O’Donnell back in the role and also putting out feelers to rival network stars, such as CNN’s Anderson Cooper and Fox News’ Bret Baier.
RelatedCBS News Boss Bari Weiss to Host Town Hall Interview With Erika Kirk
“Tony is what everyone wants in an evening-news anchor – authentic, compassionate, unafraid,” added Tom Cibrowski, president of CBS News. “He connects instantly, whether he’s talking with world leaders or with families navigating difficult news in their own backyards.”
Dokoupil will become the sixth anchor to host CBS Evening News in the last decade, following Scott Pelley, Jeff Glor, O’Donnell, Dickerson, and DuBois. Former hosts also include Walter Cronkite, Dan Rather, and Katie Couric.
He will also be the youngest of all the primetime broadcast anchors at 44 years old. This honor is currently held by Tom Llamas, who took over NBC Nightly News from Lester Holt earlier this year.
More Headlines:
CBS News Confirms Tony Dokoupil as the New Anchor of ‘CBS Evening News’HGTV’s Mike Holmes Pays Tribute as Costar Frank Cozzolino Dies at 56Rachel Maddow Calls on CBS to Uncancel Stephen Colbert’s ‘The Late Show’‘Down Cemetery Road’ Team Explains Season 1 Finale Ending — Where It Left Zoe & Sarah (VIDEO)Andy Dick Shares Health Update After Collapsing in Street From Apparent Drug Overdose
