CBS News has initiated a significant restructuring effort by offering lucrative voluntary buyout packages to staff members working on its flagship 'Evening News' broadcast. This move comes directly in the wake of newly appointed Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss outlining her transformative vision for the network's future direction during a comprehensive townhall meeting.
Enhanced Separation Offers Sent to Editorial Staff
On Tuesday, numerous ununionized employees, including many producers and editorial personnel, received an email detailing what has been described as an 'extraordinary chance to leave CBS News with an enhanced separation payment.' According to reports from the New York Post, the communication explicitly linked the offer to the strategic changes announced by Weiss just one day prior.
The internal email stated, 'At yesterday’s All-Hands, Bari charted a course for CBS News that’s very different from the one we’re on now. The Evening News has a new host and a new directive and there will be more change coming.' It continued by acknowledging that while the network hopes staff are excited about the new vision, it understands some may not be, hence the provision of this support mechanism.
Tight Deadlines and Financial Terms
Staff members who received the offer now face a series of critical deadlines. They have until the coming Monday to signal their initial agreement to consider the buyout. Following this, CBS News will provide the specific financial terms of the separation package by February 4 at 8pm. Employees will then have a final window, until February 9 at 8pm, to formally accept the offer and tender their resignation.
It remains unclear exactly how many staffers were targeted with this email, but industry publication Variety notes that a majority of CBS News's editorial ranks are not covered by union contracts, making them eligible for such direct offers.
Internal Dissent and Management Pushback
The offer of buyouts was reportedly extended by Kim Harvey, the Executive Producer of 'Evening News.' However, sources familiar with internal negotiations revealed to Variety that both Harvey and the program's new anchor, Tony Dokoupil, had actively tried to dissuade senior management from implementing cuts at the broadcast, despite its reportedly rocky start under the new format.
This initiative occurs against a backdrop of wider cost-cutting at the network. CBS has already laid off over 2,000 employees under mandates from its new owner, Paramount Skydance. The conglomerate sought to streamline operations after acquiring CBS from the Redstone family, its former controlling shareholders.
Staff Anxiety and a 'Chilling Effect'
The announcement has reportedly sown fear and uncertainty within the 'Evening News' team. During Tuesday's townhall, an unidentified employee expressed deep concerns, stating, 'Well at 'Evening News,' people are afraid for their jobs and afraid to even speak for fear of retaliation.'
The employee went on to describe a 'chilling effect within our newsroom,' adding that it currently feels as if offering feedback, alternatives, or constructive criticism could make them a target. This sentiment highlights the internal strife that has reportedly plagued the network since Weiss assumed her role in October.
Weiss's Vision: A New Direction for CBS News
In her townhall address, Bari Weiss presented a blunt assessment of the network's current standing. She argued that CBS News has been 'far too focused on maintaining its current audience rather than expanding its reach to new viewers.' Weiss declared her mission is to make CBS News 'fit for purpose in the 21st century.'
She outlined a centrist editorial stance, stating, 'We’re for the center. We’re for the center-right, and we’re for the center-left.' Weiss did not mince words about the current product, admitting, 'The honest truth is right now we are not producing a product that enough people want.'
Addressing potential dissenters directly, she adopted a no-nonsense tone: 'If that's not your bag, that's okay. It's a free country, and I completely respect if you decide I'm not the right leader for you or this isn't the right place at the right time.'
Controversy and Internal Backlash
Weiss's tenure has been marked by controversy from the outset. Critics have questioned her editorial neutrality, suggesting a potential pro-Trump agenda—a claim she has repeatedly denied. The backlash intensified when she postponed a '60 Minutes' segment investigating the Trump administration's deportation of migrants to a notorious prison in El Salvador.
Weiss maintains the decision was purely editorial, based on a belief the segment required additional reporting, and was not made to appease Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison, whose father, Larry Ellison, is a known Trump ally.
Mixed Signals on Performance and Support
While executives have reportedly been encouraged by an initial viewership increase following Tony Dokoupil's debut as anchor, the overall audience for 'Evening News' continues to decline and is noticeably down compared to the same period last year.
Despite the internal tensions, Weiss has found a prominent ally in longtime anchor Gayle King. During the townhall, King publicly defended Weiss's vision, stating, 'What I like, Bari, about what you outlined is that I don’t know anybody in this room that doesn’t want to make change for the better. I don’t know anybody that doesn’t want to kick it up a notch.' King also criticised those leaking details of Weiss's plans to the press.
The Daily Mail has contacted CBS News for further comment on the buyout programme and the ongoing strategic shifts within the network.
