Jase

It’s likely going to be Llamas who replaces Holt and I could see Jackson taking weekends (in addition to a more prominent role on NN during the week). Which means, Diaz-Balart moves to NBC News Now as they could use more NBC News veterans. And now that they cut his MSNBC show, he’s free to do more. Guthrie should remain on Today. I know they have been pushing her the past couple of years, but she can be insufferable.

Not surprising about Wagner given this is the 2nd time MSNBC has cancelled a show of hers. Axing Reid without at least moving her to weekends or keeping her as a contributor is surprising. Not sure Psaki will be a draw the network thinks she'll be. 'The Weekend' team could do well, but who knows???

'Plus' shouldn't have been launched in the first place. The focus should have been on strengthening 'Evening News' before even thinking about having a companion program. They didn't launch CBS Mornings + until they felt good about where CBS Mornings was (format, ratings, etc...). Sure, in theory. I think the question for them is balancing what's worth reporting on and what isn't and how much time do you devote to certain things. It's not surprising that they making adjustments (...that was to be expected).

Caught Mugo on CBS News 24/7. Not sure if this was her official debut, but she appears to be settling in well.

It's better than what they currently use, imo. Overall, the set looks really good. I was a bit concerned because I don't like the new WNN/GMA First Look set nor The View/T. Hall set and figured this one was going to be a stinker too.

I want to say over the past three weeks, they stopped using certain areas (green screen, faux windows on both sides, etc...) as if they were clearing out one side before moving to the opposite side. One could argue the overall set was fine (it's less than 8 yrs old) and has held up very well. And while I liked what they did to Studio 32, I'm not sure I would like it on a larger scale. That said, I'm hoping for something different than that for the main studio.

Looks like they have started the 2nd phase of the [ main ] set upgrades you mentioned. For the nearly two weeks; they have been using their secondary studio (Studio 32) for all newscasts. No word on when they will move back to the main studio nor the full scope of work being done.

Kutler named President of MSNBC 'Rebecca Kutler takes the helm of the network at a key moment: MSNBC will be spun off from Comcast, along with other cable channels, in a transaction expected to be completed by the end of the year. With NBC News no longer as a sister entity, Kutler has talked of building a new news organization.'

Dickerson is a good interviewer/storyteller, but isn’t particularly great when it comes to breaking news coverage. He appeared tense and twice stumbled over his words during the EN the day after the DC plane/helicopter collision. Plus, he tends to not pay attention to the person he’s talking to (often writing on his note pad instead). In some ways, he is over analytical. DuBois, overall, is the better of the two, imo. Not sure why CBS has been so enamored with Dickerson when they have/had other male anchors/correspondents who are just as good (if not better). I still say he must have some dirt on people…

Goudie made his debut yesterday during the 6P. Unclear if he will make daily appearances and if so, it will be at 6P (like he did while at WLS).

I believe originally there was a screen there, but it at some point, it was replaced with a door.

Definitely underutilized. But she's only 43 (?) and could always make a return to cable news (or even local news) in the future.

I figured there wasn't a need for another investigative reporter at WMAQ, but I can't blame them for signing him. Too much experience to pass up. Plus, with an already established investigative unit at WMAQ, Goudie doesn't have to build one from the ground up (i.e.. at WFLD).

Yikes!!! Zero reason this was so poorly executed. Really killed the momentum they were building with the new Evening News. Would have been better off leaving the Weekend News as is if this was going to be the end result. And why did they not move back to studio 47?

CBS Mornings/CBS Mornings + and CBS News 24/7 follow a traditional news format where viewers can get their fill of the news of the day. I don’t think viewers are necessarily missing out when CBS has alternatives readily available for viewers throughout the day. I would argue that the Evening News now has a very structured format that they are not likely going to change unless a 9/11-like event happens. I would be surprised if we ever see DuBois or Dickerson live in the field. That said, I don’t think cost is a factor in this situation.

Since the ICE raids started days before and there were no new substantive developments; I agree with them that it didn't warrant much more than a mention. And the following day, they presented a more comprehensive piece regarding the raids. I appreciate their measured approach when it comes to 'the news of the day.' Giving viewers the same tired rundown of stories, just like everyone else, hasn't worked. If there was ever a time to re-invent the wheel, it's now. I'm not sure they will ever be #1 (or even #2), but they're fully capable of being the most competitive #3 there is. The question is, will that be enough for them???

It’s nitpicking (or criticism) I’m sure they expected. Can’t please everyone. Likely a case of perception versus reality. DuBois sits on the left (traditionally the dominant side), intros the first story, gets the last word, etc. It’s a balancing act that’s going to take time to get right. And if they don’t, that’s fine too. It’s the substance that matters.

Not sure what to make of those comments or if they’re from real people. Comments I’ve read have been mostly positive. Some have grown accustomed to getting a recounting of events instead of being told what the implications of said events are. It’s something that will take a minute to get used to. Like others have said, CBS is on the right track. They just have to keep going and block out the noise.

Not sure it’s relevant to know at 6:30/5:30P. Missed opportunity to show major stocks that were down for the day or as least tied international weather to the weather segment itself.

I liked 99.9% of what I saw. Didn’t love the live shot of the anchors during the commercial (and world temps); but this is a work in progress so I won’t nitpick too much. Loved the lack of political news and used of the video walls. Worth-noting is that both Nightly and World News lead with the ICE raids and Evening News lead with a story (AI threat) that viewers likely would have never heard about. Overall, great start and hopefully viewers (and others) take note because this is how a nightly network newscast should be done.

I haven't seen it listed on any programming guide. One would assume they will announce when it will air during the Evening News.

They both anchor CBS Evening News together, but for some unknown reason, Dickerson anchors the 2nd half hour (CBS Evening News +) solo. That appears unfair to me (not keeping the duo for both newscasts). Plus, it gives the impression, imo, that Dickerson will simply ‘disappear’ and only anchor EN+ at some point in the future. I don’t think they can justify having two people for example, for a special report, that last less than 5 mins. Seems unnecessary. But if I was Dubois, I would have pushed for being solo lead, when necessary, for breaking news/special reports given Dickerson gets anchor EN+ solo. Plus, I believe Dickerson does 2 podcasts (daily or weekly ones) so he may not be readily available most of the time. I do wonder if they maintain ‘the duo’ if one of them is off and whether or not CBS Weekend News changes to reflect the weekday Evening News or everything stays the same????

It sounds like they're shooting for something closer to 60 minutes. That's how Dubois described it. Nevertheless, I agree that whatever format is presented, they give it time and don't abandon it (for, as you said, New York featured stories). The vibe I'm getting is that they want to do what you would see at the local level (news, weather and a politics rundown (instead of sports). Could be wrong, but that's what my gut tells me. Looking at the boarder picture, I like that CBS has attempted to break down the silos (60 minutes, CBS Sunday Morning, etc...) and create a common thread (through graphics, sets, formats, etc...) across not only CBS News, but also including the local CBS O&Os as part of the process. For too long, everybody did their own thing instead of working together as one. Glad that they see the value in 'synergy.'

They have Good Day Chicago-branded mic flags now too.

I agree. Glad they went with something simple and not as grand, if you will, as the DC set. And just as I predicted, they did change the orientation of the set (… pats self on the back).