Exclusive: ‘She's been hemorrhaging viewers for a long time, and nothing was really working,’ one source told The Independent. Norah O’Donnell signed off for the final time as CBS Evening News anchor on Thursday night, ending an era that began in 2019 and saw her become one of the few women to helm a nightly broadcast news show.
![[Oprah applauded O’Donnell for the “incredible impact” she’s made throughout her career]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/01/24/19/Screenshot-Capture---2025-01-24---13-09-12.jpg)
CBS staffers told The Independent that they are both “excited and fearful” over a new iteration of CBS Evening News, adding that “nothing was really working” under O’Donnell’s leadership. The network insiders cited O’Donnell’s “risk-averse” and “middle-of-the-road” approach to stories as a key reason the show wasn’t resonating with viewers. To that point, CBS Evening News pulled in just 4.6 million viewers during the fourth quarter last year, drawing 3 million fewer than ABC’s World News Tonight.
At the same time, network employees pointed out that the 51-year-old journalist is a “beloved figure” within the CBS halls who has always supported her colleagues — especially women. O’Donnell’s emotional farewell on Thursday night was punctuated by the surprise appearance of talk show legend Oprah Winfrey, who praised O’Donnell for the “incredible impact” she’s made throughout her career.
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