By Karim Hammam
CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss said Wednesday she is not focused on declining viewership for the flagship program 60 Minutes, telling an industry conference organized by The Information that the show is doing “tremendously well” despite recent ratings drops.
Ratings decline after overhaul
Weiss overhauled 60 Minutes in late May, removing the executive producer and parting ways with three top correspondents, including Scott Pelley. Since then, the program has struggled to match last season’s average of 9.1 million viewers per episode, with its most recent episode drawing 5.64 million viewers, one of the smallest audiences in years, according to Variety. Ratings remain heavily dependent on whether an NFL game precedes the broadcast.
Asked about parent company Skydance’s merger with Warner Bros. Discovery, Weiss said she wants to focus on CBS News and dismissed speculation about leading CNN. “I want to focus on doing CBS News, trust me. This is a big enough challenge,” she said.
Weiss added that she ignores criticism of her tenure, describing her strategy as putting “blinders on, tune out the noise and focus,” and insisting she is not acting for popularity’s sake.
