CBS Evening News Unveils Its New Two-Anchor Format — How’d They Do in Their Debut?

The CBS Evening News is figuring two heads are better than one.

The Eye Network’s long-running national newscast shook up its format on Monday, introducing not one but two new anchors, with John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois each taking a seat behind the desk. It was mostly business as usual, as Dickerson and DuBois got right to work highlighting stories about artificial intelligence, the ongoing conflict in the Middle East and the L.A. wildfires. But the two joined forces at the end for an emotional editorial highlighting the bravery of firefighters across the country, with DuBois lauding their willingness “to lay down their lives for neighbors they’ve never met. There is no greater love.”

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Dickerson and DuBois were first announced as the two new anchors of the CBS Evening News in August, taking over for Norah O’Donnell, who exited the anchor’s chair earlier this month after a five-year run. Production also moved back to New York City after O’Donnell’s stint in Washington, D.C. The switch marks the first time CBS has tried two Evening News anchors since 1995, when Connie Chung ended a two-year run as co-anchor alongside Dan Rather.

O’Donnell will move into an expanded role as a CBS News senior correspondent, focusing on long-form reporting and interviews across CBS News platforms. She said goodbye to CBS Evening News last Thursday, with Oprah Winfrey popping in to congratulate O’Donnell on her tenure and narrate a highlight reel featuring interviews with everyone from Pope Francis to Dolly Parton.

How are you liking the new dual-anchor format? Give the new anchors a grade in our poll, and share your first impressions in a comment below.

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