Power Lines with Oliver Darcy and Jon Passantino 'CBS Evening News' Hits New Lows, White House Attacks Google, MS NOW Shakes Up Lineup
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Mar 20, 2026 They dig into CBS News' sharp ratings drop and backstage staff walkouts. The White House's clash with Google and claims of platform bias get a deep look. A major MS Now daytime reshuffle and strategy to hold viewers is explained. Listener questions drive a wider discussion on independent media versus legacy outlets.
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CBS Evening News Is Losing Its Core Audience
- CBS Evening News ratings have slid to about 3.8 million viewers with the 25-54 demo down to 468,000.
- Oliver Darcy ties the decline to Bari Weiss's editorial direction and Tony Dokoupil's failure to stop the bleed after the prior low-rated duo era.
Repositioning The Newscast Can Alienate Loyal Viewers
- Hosts say the show is bleeding viewers partly because programming signaled a major repositioning that alienated longtime CBS viewers.
- Examples cited include attempts to court MAGA audiences and editorial choices under Bari Weiss that changed tone and trust.
CBS News 24/7 Staff Walked Out Over Contract Talks
- About 60 staffers from CBS News 24/7 walked off in a contract dispute as their union bargaining hit the network amid contract expiration.
- The walkout gained political attention because critics noted Paramount and the Ellisons have spent heavily acquiring assets like Warner Bros. Discovery.