CBS Bloodbath: Anchors on the Chopping Block as Network Faces Turmoil

CBS News is bracing for another bloody purge at its flagship broadcast, the “Evening News,” with insiders saying either John Dickerson or Maurice DuBois is about to be shown the door. And the fallout could ripple far beyond the anchor desk — even to Gayle King.

Network president Tom Cibrowski, a recent import from ABC, is quietly moving pieces off the board in what some insiders are calling a desperate gamble to save both his show and his own job.

“Tom’s swinging the axe to prove he’s in control,” one CBS staffer told us. “But everyone knows this is survival mode. He’s trying to hold onto his seat before the new bosses push him out.”

The drama doesn’t end at the anchor desk. Veteran “60 Minutes” producer Guy Campanile — who had been running “Evening News” — is also said to be on his way out after clashing with Cibrowski. Sources say he may be shoved back to “60 Minutes” under new leadership.

“Guy thinks he knows better than Tom,” one insider quipped. “That doesn’t end well when your boss is fighting for his life.”

Cibrowski, who took over CBS News in March, has been pushing for a harder news style, while Campanile continued leaning on feature segments. The tug-of-war has left the newsroom “rudderless,” according to another staffer.

“If you’re going to change direction, you need confidence,” the source said. “This team has none. The anchors feel it, and the viewers feel it.”

CBS’s woes come at a perilous moment. Paramount, CBS’s parent company, is finalizing its mega-merger with Skydance, and new bosses are circling. Skydance CEO David Ellison has reportedly spoken to controversial journalist Bari Weiss and former CBS News president David Rhodes about joining the network. Meanwhile, Jeff Shell, the incoming Skydance-Paramount president, admitted he’s already interviewing candidates to replace Cibrowski.

That looming uncertainty has made the “Evening News” especially vulnerable. Ratings have continued to slump, with viewers defecting to NBC and ABC. Industry observers say DuBois is seen as the safer bet to survive the cut, given his credibility as a longtime New York anchor, while Dickerson’s reputation as a cerebral political analyst hasn’t connected with nightly news audiences.

“The lack of chemistry between them has been obvious,” said a former CBS executive. “They couldn’t even handle something like Pope Francis’s death with the authority viewers expect.”

The tremors are reaching morning TV too. Gayle King, who pulls in a staggering $15 million salary, has found herself in the crosshairs as “CBS Mornings” sinks to last place with under two million viewers.

King has been blasted for chasing “woke” bookings, like a segment with RuPaul’s Drag Race star Bob the Drag Queen. “The audience doesn’t want that,” one insider complained. “Morning viewers want optimism and joy — not lectures.”

Even President Donald Trump piled on recently, taking a victory lap after CBS dumped late-night host Stephen Colbert. On Truth Social, Trump crowed: “Gayle King’s career is over. She should have stayed with her belief in TRUMP. No talent, no ratings, no strength!!!”

With the Paramount-Skydance merger set to shake up the entire industry, CBS may be just the first domino to fall. The uncertainty at the top has filtered down to the newsroom, where reporters and producers admit morale has cratered.

“There’s no clear vision,” one source said flatly. “It feels like the last days of Rome.”

Whether Cibrowski survives his own shake-up — or becomes the latest victim of it — could decide the fate of CBS’s entire news division.