Norah O’Donnell’s profession may get “resurrected” on the Tiffany Community — following her sturdy protection of the loss of life of Pope Francis and the election of Pope Leo XIV, The Put up has realized.
The previous “CBS Evening News” anchor — who was booted from the high-profile publish in a controversial shakeup in January to make method for the duo of John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois — confirmed her chops as she amped up the community’s protection from Rome final week, CBS insiders buzzed.
The 51-year-old broadcaster is “well sourced” within the Vatican, in line with a community supply. As she coated the funeral and the conclave with Dickerson, she flashed information gleaned from an unique sitdown with Pope Francis final yr.
O’Donnell delivered an unique interview with the Gammarelli household, who’ve tailor-made clothes for popes, bishops and cardinals for greater than 200 years, and even nabbed perspective from an American bishop from Chicago, the brand new pope’s hometown.
“Norah has the stature when it comes to doing a live event,” one community supply stated, including that O’Donnell made DuBois and Dickerson look “small” by comparability and “overshadowed” them each.
“Maurice looked like a bump on a log. He looked like her sidekick,” the supply added. “John only knows how to do politics. They were outmatched.”
In the course of the conclave and final Thursday’s announcement of Pope Leo XIV, the perennially third-place CBS Information simply beat NBC’s Information within the rankings. CBS averaged 3 million viewers, in comparison with 1.9 million for NBC’s protection anchored by Lester Holt. ABC Information drew 3.5 million, in accordance Nielsen.
Insiders say the blip of success might have been a clumsy second for CBS Information boss Wendy McMahon, who was behind the January shakeup. Within the first quarter, the overhauled “CBS Evening News” noticed its complete viewers tumble to three.5 million. Vewers within the advertiser-coveted demographic of 25-54 years, fell to 657,000, in line with Nielsen rankings.
That’s versus the year-ago quarter when the present, below O’Donnell, pulled in 5 million complete viewers and 722,000 demo viewers.
The truth that O’Donnell was capable of steal the limelight final week is an ideal sign of the disarray at CBS Information, in line with one supply near the community.
“You wouldn’t see ABC’s David Muir play backseat but that’s what Dickerson and DuBois did,” the supply added.
The Put up reached out to CBS Information for remark.
Final yr, CBS CEO McMahon unveiled plans to revamp the 30-minute “Evening News,” which airs at 6:30 p.m. ET weekdays, to incorporate “60 Minutes”-style segments. She moved the present again to New York from Washington and O’Donnell, who helmed the present for 5 years, was changed by Dickerson, a CBS veteran and DuBois, CBS native information anchor in New York.
This system was pressured to backtrack on the brand new technique after it flubbed some main breaking tales following Trump’s election. Nonetheless, insiders aren’t holding their breath for O’Donnell to retake her anchor chair below present administration.
“Norah’s papal reporting may have resurrected her career but it could also just be her last hurrah,” a media skilled stated.
The slumping rankings, nonetheless, additionally come as Skydance Media is hoping to shut its $8 billion merger with CBS-parent Paramount International. A supply near the scenario instructed The Put up that Skydance bosses — which incorporates founder and CEO David Ellison and president Jeff Shell — are “profoundly unhappy with the current situation.”
“They are going to be looking to reshape ‘The Evening News,’ which could include bringing back Norah O’Donnell,” a supply stated.
Whereas it’s unclear if O’Donnell would return as anchor, a supply with information stated the journalist, who currently has been relegated to reporting roles on the community, may land one other massive job at CBS as soon as the brand new homeowners are available in.
“Something good is going to happen to Norah O’Donnell,” the supply added.
Nonetheless, it’s unsure whether or not the merger will get cleared because it faces static from President Trump. Presently, Paramount is in talks with Trump’s legal professionals over his $20 billion lawsuit over “60 Minutes’” modifying of its sitdown with former Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump’s Federal Communications Fee chair Brendan Carr can also be trying into the matter.
“Actually, no one has given any thought to O’Donnell or ‘CBS Evening News’ as there are clearly other priorities to tackle,” a supply near Skydance stated.
Sources additionally be aware that bringing again O’Donnell wouldn’t come with out challenges and a few inside backlash on the community.
The Put up has beforehand chronicled O’Donnell’s poisonous conduct, which incorporates dressing down stylists over her hair and make-up and requiring a “full dress rehearsal” of her broadcast when she was within the anchor chair.
