CBS anchor Norah O'Donnell's ratings in freefall

[left-of-center2012]

A big bet by “CBS Evening News” on Norah O’Donnell is beginning to look iffy.

The former “CBS This Morning” host — who is getting paid at least $7 million a year by CBS News boss Susan Zirinsky to revive the perennially third-ranked newscast — is getting hammered in the ratings worse than her predecessors did.

In the last week alone, O’Donnell’s total viewers plunged 17 percent to 5.1 million, according to Nielsen. Among viewers in the crucial demographic ages 25 to 54 that’s coveted by advertisers, the drop was a heart-stopping 25 percent.

The slide has steadily accelerated during the past month, with weekly ratings in the key age group falling between 20 and 29 percent versus a year ago. That’s far steeper than the single-digit drops during the year-and-a-half tenure of her predecessor Jeff Glor, who was pulling down $2 million a year, according to a source.

Asked about the decline, CBS sent The Post a statement from Zirinsky, saying the network is “extremely pleased with how quickly the ‘CBS Evening News’ with Norah O’Donnell has established itself as a must-see destination for exclusive reporting and investigative journalism.”



https://nypost.com/2019/10/20/cbs-anchor-norah-odonnells-ratings-in-freefall/

[blueinredohio]

1. I used to watch when it was Jeff Glor

but when they changed to Norah I started watching David Muir. Never cared for Norah.

[Mme. Defarge]

4. I liked Jeff Glor

and was sad when he left.

[yonder]

6. Jeff Glor was my favorite too. He has an honest and sincere manner about him.

I don't much care for David Muir. His breathless style drives me nuts.

After about 15 minutes, till their first break, all of the big three networks become hard to watch.

[Tech]

2. I actually like CBS news, but we cut the cable cord and get really bad reception for CBS..

[redstatebluegirl]

3. Norah is a good reporter, she should have stayed in that position.

I don't know when it became a bad thing to be a great reporter, now they all want to be an anchor. None of these people are Walter Cronkite and they will never be. What we need are good investigative reporters and lots of them. Then we need an honest person to deliver the news they have uncovered.

[rownesheck]

5. I'm surprised

that anyone watches tv news, especially local news. I understand older folks watching it because their parents watched it and they grew up watching it. Is there actually any real journalism being performed? Don't the corporate masters almost dictate what the reporters can report on? Maybe I'm wrong.

Do younger people watch tv news? I was shocked to hear my wife's friend and her husband still watch the local news. They're in their late 30s/ early 40s. I don't know. I'm rambling.

[a kennedy]

7. I'm in NBC's Lester Holt's camp.