Tony Dokoupil’s “CBS Evening News” experienced several notable issues over the Fourth of July weekend, including a mistaken image and disruptions to a primetime special, leading to internal criticism about the program's quality control and staffing.
On Friday, the newscast mistakenly aired an image of rapper Kanye West instead of Sean “Diddy” Combs in a report concerning President Trump's consideration of a pardon for Combs. The broadcast later corrected the error for digital and streaming platforms. A network source described the incident as a "one-off error" that "had nothing to do with short staffing," while other insiders suggested it highlighted the show's lean staffing.
Primetime Special Disruption
Further challenges arose during the preparation and broadcast of the network's primetime special, “The Great American Block Party 250,” hosted by Dokoupil and Nischelle Turner. The event, scheduled to broadcast live from the National Mall, was significantly impacted by severe weather, leading to an evacuation order from President Trump.
Dokoupil and Turner reportedly waited for an hour for network leadership to decide on a revised broadcasting plan. One network source characterized this delay as "amateur hour," stating that the anchors were left waiting in the rain without clear direction. A different network source disputed this, clarifying that they were waiting for clearance to return to the Mall.
Backup anchor Kelly O’Grady managed the broadcast from the D.C. studio, with weatherman Rob Marciano reporting from New York. Dokoupil and Turner eventually joined O’Grady in the studio approximately an hour and 45 minutes into the three-hour telecast. President Trump ultimately took the stage to deliver his speech around 11:15 p.m., over an hour later than initially planned.
A spokesperson for CBS News defended the coverage, stating, "This is nonsense. Despite the weather evacuation, our exceptional team never missed a step. We seamlessly activated our pre-planned weather contingencies to deliver great coverage for our audience."
Post-Broadcast Concerns
Adding to the weekend's difficulties, the primetime special was not immediately posted to CBS's streaming service Paramount+ or on CBS.com. While one source suggested the network might have been "embarrassed" by the broadcast, a CBS News source stated the omission was due to licensing agreements, a reason that did not apply to similar specials from rival networks ABC and NBC.
Internal feedback from some staffers reportedly ranged from "mortified" to critical of the production. One source lamented that the network sent a congratulatory email to over 100 staffers involved, suggesting it would have been better to acknowledge the perceived shortcomings.
Insiders also pointed to a lack of "planning or 'futures meetings'" and an insufficient number of producers as contributing factors to the program's struggles. The commentary suggested issues with leadership and decision-making within the “CBS Evening News” team.
Conversely, a CBS News source offered a counterpoint regarding ratings, noting that the show's second-quarter viewership averaged 3.9 million total viewers, a 1% increase year-over-year.
The Fourth of July weekend incidents follow other notable challenges for Dokoupil's tenure, including a teleprompter failure on his first show and a broadcast from Taiwan after visa issues prevented him from covering a U.S.-China summit in Beijing.