Two Top Producers Exiting CBS' Face The Nation

CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss had privately considered replacing “Face the Nation” host Margaret Brennan earlier this year, and the program’s leadership may change as two senior producers prepare to leave, the media newsletter Status reported.

Mary Hager, the show’s senior executive producer, announced Wednesday that she is leaving CBS News after 35 years. Hager has also served as the network’s executive editor of politics since 2022 and played a prominent role in its Washington bureau and presidential election coverage.

Anne Hsu, “Face the Nation’s” executive producer, is leaving the show for a new assignment at CBS News’ Hong Kong bureau, Status reported.

Bari Weiss

The NY Post reports the departures give Weiss an opportunity to appoint new editorial leaders at the Sunday political program, whose future she has privately considered. Her earlier consideration of replacing Brennan did not lead to a change.

A CBS News insider disputed suggestions that the departures have thrown the program into turmoil. The source told The Post that Hager has planned to retire at the end of the year and has discussed her plans with colleagues.

The insider described Hager as a beloved colleague whose departure will be felt at the network, but said her retirement was neither unexpected nor the result of internal acrimony. The source also noted that Hsu, who is from Hong Kong, will remain with CBS News.

The insider pointed to “Face the Nation’s” status as the top Sunday public affairs program, ahead of NBC’s “Meet the Press,” and declined to speculate about Brennan’s future or how CBS News might use her.