CBS News takes some chances with new anchor, Norah O'Donnell

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

The first 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.

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.

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.



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