Norah O'Donnell's 'CBS Evening News' Continues Ratings Nosedive With Double-Digit Drop

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Norah O’Donnell’s ‘CBS Evening News’ Continues Ratings Nosedive With Double-Digit Drop

by Lindsey Ellefson | October 22, 2019 @ 9:55 AM

A new anchor has not saved the sinking flagship

Norah O’Donnell took the helm of CBS’s “Evening News” in July, but so far, she has not righted the sinking flagship program.

Nielsen data shows that the week of October 14, her ratings took another dive. She brought in 5.232 million viewers, 17% less than her predecessor, Jeff Glor, brought in a year ago. In the advertiser-coveted demographic of viewers from 25 to 54, her broadcast got 971,000 viewers — a 25% drop from Glor’s year-ago numbers.

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O’Donnell’s newscast has fallen even further behind its competitors. ABC’s “World News Tonight” led the week with 8.227 million overall viewers, with 1.623 million in the 25-54 demo. NBC’s “Nightly News” brought in 7.365 million total viewers. 1.561 million of them were between 25 and 54.

Also Read: CBS Evening News' Norah O'Donnell Caught on Hot Mic During Placido Domingo Segment

On the plus side, O’Donnell has shown steady growth in the 25-54 demo for the first three weeks of the season (from Sept. 23 to Oct. 13), rising from 906,000 to 941,000 to 954,000 in average audience. But those numbers are significantly below last year’s, when Jeff Glor anchored the broadcast. Glor’s “Evening News” averaged 5.820 million viewers during the 2018-19 season, 1.159 million of whom were in that all-important 25-to-54 age range.

Comparatively, NBC’s “Nightly News” had 7.899 average viewers for the season with 1.733 million in the demo. ABC’s “World News Tonight” had the highest overall viewers with an average of 8.564 million, but took second place in the demo, as 1.707 million between the ages of 25 and 54 tuned in, on average.

Also Read: Norah O'Donnell's 'CBS Evening News' Debut Drops 24% in Ratings

In the third quarter of 2019, “Evening News” still came in third place: 5.077 million turned in on average, but in the coveted demo, that number was less than a million: on average, 980,000 viewers between 25 and 54 turned on CBS for their evening news. Overall, the broadcast experienced a 9% drop in viewers. 2018’s third quarter saw 5.595 million tune in.

NBC brought in 7.165 million on average, with 1.534 million in the demo. Again in the third quarter, ABC led in total viewers with 8.092 million on average, but fell to second place in the coveted age range, enticing 1.501 million viewers between 25 and 54.

A representative for CBS News had no comment.

Also Read: Norah O'Donnell on CBS News Upheaval, Big Network Changes (Video)

O’Donnell’s July 15 debut drew 1.221 million viewers ages 25 to 54, which was down 24% versus the same night (Monday, July 16) in 2018. Her total-viewer decline was much less dramatic, down just 1%, which was also less of a decline than ABC and NBC experienced year to year.

Compared with the show’s 2019-to-date ratings — the Jeff Glor days — O’Donnell’s summer kickoff was down 22% in the demo and 6% among total viewers. Versus Glor’s final week, O’Donnell’s first show dropped 19% in the key demo. The two versions were steady in total viewers.

Longest Running TV Shows Still on Air in the US, From 'General Hospital' to 'The Simpsons' (Photos)

Here are the longest running TV shows still airing in the U.S. -- not counting news and sports programming.
"General Hospital"

Series debut: April 1, 1963

The ABC daytime soap opera started as a half-hour show but it's been an hour-long staple since 1978.
ABC
"Days of Our Lives"

Series debut: Nov. 8, 1965

The NBC soap also spent its first decade as a half-hour show and has churned out decades' worth of domestic drama.
NBC
"Sesame Street"

Series debut: Nov. 10, 1969

The children's series, first launched on PBS with its mix of short segments and furry Muppets, has been broadcast in more than 120 countries.
PBS
"Masterpiece Theatre"

Series debut: January 10, 1971

PBS' long-running anthology, many adaptations of classic novels, has gone through multiple hosts over the years -- from Alastair Cooke to Russell Baker to Laura Linney.
PBS
"The Price Is Right"

Series debut: Sept. 4, 1972

Technically, this game show debuted in 1956 and ran for nine years on both NBC and ABC. But the 1972 relaunch, hosted by Bob Barker, has become a daytime mainstay with contestants playing guessing games about the cost of merchandise.

CBS
"The Young and the Restless"

Series debut: March 26, 1973

The soap opera joined the CBS daytime lineup in 1973 -- and wound up outlasting the network's "As the World Turns" which ended its 54-year run in 2010.
CBS
"Saturday Night Live"

Series debut: October 11, 1975

Lorne Michaels' weekly sketch comedy series has launched the careers of countless stars over five decades.
NBC
"Wheel of Fortune"

Series debut: January 6, 1975

The TV version of Hangman started on NBC with host Chuck Woolery; Pat Sajak took over as host in 1981 and stayed with the show when it became syndicated two years later.
"Jeopardy!"

Series debut: September 10, 1984

The syndicated quiz show first aired as a daytime show in 1964. The current syndicated evening version kicked off two decades later, with host Alex Trebek.
"The Bold and the Beautiful"

Series debut: March 23, 1987

The CBS soap launched as a sister series to the Wisconsin-set "The Young and the Restless" despite its more glamorous L.A. locale.

CBS
"The Simpsons"

Series debut: December 17, 1989

Matt Groening's animated sitcom helped put the Fox network on the map -- and it's still going strong. Ay, caramba!

Fox
"America's Funniest Home Videos"

Series debut: November 26, 1989

The collection of wacky clips has survived three decades on ABC.
"Power Rangers"

Series debut: August 28, 1993

The campy and colorful live-action superhero series for kids has jumped among a half-dozen networks over the years, and it's spawned a series of big-screen adaptations.
Saban
"South Park"

Series debut: Aug. 13, 1997

Trey Parker and Matt Stone's lo-fi animated satire has followed the adventures of Colorado fourth graders Stan, Kyle, Kenny and Cartman through countless topical controversies on Comedy Central.
"Law & Order: Special Victims Unit"

Series debut: Sept. 20, 1999

The spinoff of Dick Wolf's original cop-legal drama, starring Mariska Hargitay as a detective (and later commander) on an NYPD unit handling sex crimes, has now outlasted its long-running predecessor.