“CBS Evening News” co-anchor John Dickerson said on Monday he would leave the network in December, signaling the start of a refresh at CBS News as editor-in-chief Bari Weiss revamps its programming.
Dickerson’s exit marks the first high-profile talent departure from the network since Weiss took hold of the network earlier this month. Dickerson joined the network in 2009, becoming the co-host of “Evening News” earlier this year alongside Maurice DuBois.
“Local news: At the end of this year, I will leave CBS, sixteen years after I sat in as Face the Nation anchor for the first time,” Dickerson wrote on Instagram. “I am extremely grateful for all that CBS gave me— the work, the audience’s attention and the honor of being a part of the network’s history— and I am grateful for my dear colleagues who’ve made me a better journalist and a better human. I will miss you.”
CBS News President Tom Cibrowski said in a statement that Dickerson “epitomizes the very best of journalism.” He said Dickerson would continue to host the program until the holidays.
“Until then, we’ll have plenty of time to thank him for his work here and honor his contributions to our success,” Cibrowski said in a statement.
A CBS News spokesperson did not have a comment from Weiss. Dickerson’s announcement comes weeks after the news organization’s head of standards, Claudia Milne, said she would leave the network.
Dickerson’s tenure at the network has touched on nearly all of its marquee programs, including “60 Minutes,” “Face the Nation” and its one-time morning show “CBS This Morning.” He also became a prominent steward of its political coverage, hosting multiple primary debates during the 2016 election cycle and interviewing multiple presidents, including Jimmy Carter, Barack Obama and Donald Trump.
He took hold of the “Evening News” anchor chair as part of a two-anchor refresh of the show earlier this year, which saw anchor Norah O‘Donnell step down and the show return to New York. The experiment was widely considered unsuccessful, as the telecast’s ratings had consistently fallen further behind its ABC and NBC competitors.
Weiss has also reportedly floated remaking the program again, potentially installing either O’Donnell or “CBS Mornings” co-host Tony Dokoupil as its host. Outside candidates have reportedly included Fox News anchor Bret Baier, though Baier remains under contract at the conservative news network.
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