CBS News’ new editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, is already making moves to reshape the network’s flagship programming, reportedly eyeing Fox News anchor Bret Baier as a possible future host of CBS Evening News. According to Oliver Darcy’s Status newsletter, Weiss has been “quietly canvassing” for fresh talent to take over the broadcast as part of a major shakeup.
Baier, however, is under contract with Fox News through 2028 after extending his deal in 2023, making any immediate transition unlikely.
Baier has been a mainstay at Fox News since 1998. He began as the network’s Atlanta bureau chief before moving to the Pentagon in 2001, where he covered military affairs for five years. He later served as White House correspondent and stepped in as substitute anchor for Special Report on Fridays. In 2009, he succeeded Brit Hume as anchor of Special Report, a role he still holds.
Weiss, who founded The Free Press alongside her spouse Nellie Bowles, was tapped to lead CBS News after Paramount Skydance acquired the outlet in October. Reports say she has met with newsroom staff and is researching ways to reverse a ratings slump and revamp CBS Evening News with a stronger editorial direction.
CBS has already attempted a rebrand of its nightly news broadcast this year, installing John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois as co-hosts and shifting the show toward a magazine-style format similar to 60 Minutes. Rather than leading with breaking developments, the program now features longer, thematic segments.
The move has not paid off in ratings. Under Dickerson and DuBois, CBS Evening News averages 4.1 million viewers per episode, down from the 4.8 million that the show drew under former anchor Norah O’Donnell, who hosted from 2019 until early 2025.
Other potential candidates reportedly under consideration by Weiss include CBS Mornings co-host Tony Dokoupil and possibly O’Donnell herself.
While Baier is considered a long shot due to his contract, his name being floated signals Weiss’ intention to shake up CBS with bold, attention-grabbing hires capable of shifting audience perception and closing the ratings gap with rivals.