“CBS Evening News” gets streaming companion “CBS Evening News Plus”

A new, revised “CBS Evening News” won’t be released until early next year, but it already has a sequel.

CBS News announced plans Wednesday to launch “CBS Evening News Plus,” a 30-minute sequel to its revamped flagship newscast that will be streamed online and broadcast on certain CBS-owned stations. The new half-hour program, hosted by John Dickerson, will already be seen on KCBS in Los Angeles, KPIX in San Francisco, KOVR in Sacramento and WFOR in Miami.

“John is a true multiplatform journalist. From television to streaming…from podcasting to magazines and books…John has a mastery of distilling news and storylines for a diverse audience amid a wealth of information and headlines,” said Wendy McMahon, president and CEO of the news, broadcasting and CBS’ syndication activities. in a memo to employees. “These features will drive many of the things we’ll see every night on ‘CBS Evening News Plus.’

Watching the network’s evening news has been an experience in its own right for decades. Now CBS is working to make it part of a broader media game.

Norah O’Donnell ends her tenure as anchor of the venerable “CBS Evening News” on Friday, January 24th, and the new version of the show, led by Dickerson and Maurice DuBois of WCBS, begins on Monday, January 27th. A new program air team, which includes weather reporter Lonnie Quinn and Washington-based “Face The Nation” host Margaret Brennan, aims to break down news and provide more depth rather than trying to produce dozens of articles downplaying popped up earlier in the day in less than 30 minutes.

Under McMahon, CBS News has sought to generate new interest in a broader range of streaming content, all appearing on the free, ad-supported CBS News 24/7. A third hour of “CBS Mornings,” called “CBS Morning Plus,” will stream and air on select CBS stations and debut in September.

Alturo Rhymes, a 20-year veteran of CBS News, has been named executive producer of “CBS Evening News Plus.” He has worked as managing editor and co-senior broadcast producer on the evening news and will now help lead what could become a format of the future.

For Dickerson, the assignment represents something of a continuation of his duties. Since 2022, the anchor has been leading an hour-long newscast at 7 p.m. on CBS streaming platforms that is intended to provide viewers with insights and historical context surrounding the day’s events to provide deeper understanding of the news cycle.