Tony Dokoupil

By Joe Lombardi From Daily Voice

CBS has apparently decided its new "Evening News" anchor will fly solo after current co-hosts John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois announced they would both be departing by month's end.

CBS has reportedly chosen Tony Dokoupil as the new anchor of "CBS Evening News," marking a major shift for the network’s flagship broadcast as it navigates a period of upheaval and change.

Dokoupil (pronounced "duh-COE-pill"), age 44, is currently a co-host of "CBS Mornings" alongside Gayle King and Nate Burleson.

The decision comes after Dickerson and DuBois announced they would both be leaving the anchor desk by the end of December. 

DuBois, who spent 21 years at CBS, and Dickerson, who joined the show after anchoring CBS News Streaming and its "Face the Nation" Sunday show, are both stepping down amid a broader shakeup under new editor-in-chief Bari Weiss.

Their departures leave the anchor chair vacant for the first time in decades.

According to Monday, Dec. 8 reports by Oliver Darcy of the Status newsletter as well as Mediaite, Weiss and CBS President Tom Cibrowski selected Dokoupil after unsuccessful attempts to recruit several high-profile names, including Fox News’ Bret Baier and CNN’s Anderson Cooper.

Born in Farmington, Connecticut, he attended George Washington University and Columbia University. Before joining CBS, he worked at NBC News and MSNBC. He is married to Katy Tur, anchor for MS NOW (formerly MSNBC).

In a related announcement, CBS News said on Tuesday morning, Dec. 9, that award-winning journalist Matt Gutman, previously ABC News’ chief national correspondent, will join the network as chief correspondent beginning Monday, Jan. 5. 

Based in Los Angeles, Gutman will report for “CBS Mornings” and “CBS Evening News,” serve as lead correspondent for “48 Hours,” contribute to future seasons of “60 Minutes,” and act as a fill-in anchor. 

He brings nearly decades of experience covering major events, including the Israel-Hamas war, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and US natural disasters.

"Matt Gutman goes there," Weiss said in a statement. "He brings the audience along with him to whatever story he is covering, and he approaches his work with the qualities we look for in all our journalists."

The changes come as CBS News faces turbulence following the August merger of its parent company, Paramount Global, with Skydance Media. 

The $8.4 billion deal, approved by the FCC after a $16 million settlement with former President Donald Trump, has drawn criticism for the network’s perceived conservative shift.

The merger also brought Weiss, founder of The Free Press, to CBS as editor-in-chief after Paramount Skydance acquired her outlet for $150 million

Weiss has made rebooting "CBS Evening News" a top priority, and the move to a solo anchor format with Dokoupil signals a new era for the broadcast

The network has not yet officially confirmed the appointment.

Check back to Daily Voice for updates.