CBS News Takes Some Chances With Norah O'Donnell

Long consigned to the evening news ratings basement, CBS News figures it can’t hurt to take some chances.

According to The Associated Press, the first chance was the appointment of a new anchor, Norah O’Donnell, who takes over Monday at the start of what promises to be a busy midsummer week. The second comes in November, when the “CBS Evening News” leaves New York for Washington, D.C.

CBS News President Susan Zirinsky is bullish on the advantages the moves will offer, and says CBS will guard against any temptation to become Washington-centric. That’s a consideration for a broadcast where its strongest markets competitively are in the middle of the country.

“Why not try something that could distinguish us and have the ability to bring us closer to the people who make decisions that are in the news?” said Zirinsky, who enjoyed nearly 20 years working in CBS’ Washington bureau. “That’s not constricting. That’s liberating. That opens channels for us.”

The “CBS Evening News” has been behind ABC and NBC in the ratings for decades, through anchors Dan Rather, Katie Couric, Bob Schieffer, Scott Pelley and Jeff Glor. This season, ABC’s “World News Tonight” is averaging 8.7 million viewers, NBC’s “Nightly News” is at 8.1 million and CBS is at 6 million, the Nielsen company said. Behind Glor, the gap widened: CBS’ drop of 5% in viewership from last year is steeper than the others, who had little change.

Dismissed by many in television for its older audiences, the evening newscasts are still durable institutions. Even the “CBS Evening News” routinely draws more eyeballs than attention-seeking cable news hosts.

O’Donnell, 45, spent seven years on “CBS This Morning,” but her roots are in Washington reporting. She covered the White House for both CBS and NBC, and got her start in the business following Congress at Roll Call.