'CBS Evening News' Hits New Lows, White House Attacks Google, MS NOW Shakes Up Lineup
Power Lines with Oliver Darcy and Jon PassantinoShow Notes
On this week’s Power Lines…
CBS News is running into headwinds—and the spotlight is squarely on Bari Weiss. The network’s revamped “Evening News,” helmed by Tony Dokoupil under Weiss' editorial direction, is hitting dangerous ratings lows, slipping below four million viewers. Unfortunately for Weiss, the problems aren’t confined to what’s happening on air. Inside the building, tensions are mounting as staffers at CBS News’ streaming division walked off the job amid a contract dispute.
Meanwhile, in Washington, the White House is escalating its fight with Big Tech, this time zeroing in on Google. Officials are amplifying claims that the platform is biased against conservative outlets, citing a deeply flawed report from a right-wing attack dog.
Over at MS Now, a major programming shakeup is underway. The network is reshuffling its daytime lineup in an effort to hold onto viewers beyond the morning hours and present a more cohesive lineup of programming.
Plus, in the Q&A section of Power Lines—now known as Open Lines—Jon and Oliver answer your questions, from the future of CBS News talent to the broader shift toward independent media.
0:00 Intro
1:12 CBS Evening News Ratings Slide
7:17 Streaming Staff Walkout at CBS
12:35 White House Targets Google Over Media Bias
22:30 MS Now Programming Shakeup
29:39 Open Lines: Responding to Your Questions
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More from Power Lines with Oliver Darcy and Jon Passantino
On today’s episode:
In a special episode of Power Lines, we publish exclusive audio from a stunning all-hands meeting in which Bari Weiss' handpicked foreign editor, Shayndi Raice, unleashed a lengthy tirade against her own CBS News journalists.
After completing his acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, David Ellison is facing questions about his relationship with Donald Trump and his plans for CNN. Jon shares what happened when he pressed Ellison directly on the Paramount lot, and Oliver reports on Anderson Cooper’s pointed questions for his new boss at an internal company town hall.
The future of CNN is coming into focus…at least for now. David Ellison has opened talks with Mark Thompson about extending his tenure as CNN’s chief. Oliver and Jon break down what the move signals to employees inside the network, what it could mean for CNN’s direction under Ellison, and where it leaves Bari Weiss, both now and down the road.
The anonymous source behind one of the stories that the White House used to justify its press ban was none other than JD Vance himself. We detail our exclusive reporting and get into the latest developments on Donald Trump’s war against the media.