Tony Dokoupil's 'CBS Evening News' Gains Viewership but Trails Rivals
Tony Dokoupil's 'CBS Evening News' has achieved a viewership milestone by attracting 4 million viewers in the five-day period ending May 22, 2026, according to Nielsen data. Despite this achievement, the show remains in third place behind its competitors. The program also captured 605,000 viewers in the key advertising demographic of ages 25 to 54. Dokoupil, who began his tenure as anchor in January, has faced criticism and scrutiny, including a Vanity Fair report that described him as out of his depth. CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss reportedly considered Dokoupil as a last resort after pursuing more prominent figures like Bret Baier and Anderson Cooper. 
