Tony Dokoupil, the co-anchor of CBS This Morning, is facing challenges as ratings continue to decline since his January debut. Despite pulling in over 4 million total viewers for the week, only 458,000 of them fell within the coveted 25–54 age demographic that advertisers target.
The numbers are concerning as the broadcast saw a 9% decrease in total viewers and a significant 21% drop in the key demo compared to the previous week. Year-over-year comparisons paint an even bleaker picture, with a 7% decline in total viewers and a staggering 28% decrease in the demo.
Industry insiders are worried about the implications of these declining numbers. One TV news source mentioned to Hollywood insider Rob Shuter that “The total audience is aging, and the demo erosion is what keeps executives up at night. You can’t build a future on shrinking younger numbers.”
Since his debut, Dokoupil has struggled to attract viewers, with ratings down across major advertising demographics. According to Nielsen data, viewership was down 22% compared to the same day last year. When compared to other anchor debuts on CBS, Dokoupil’s numbers lag behind, with a 17% drop from his predecessors Maurice DuBois and John Dickerson, a 20% decrease from Norah O’Donnell, and a significant 67% decline from Katie Couric’s premiere in 2006.
The challenges for Dokoupil started early on, with a visible meltdown during his first official broadcast in January. He became confused about which story to cover next, leading to an awkward moment on air. Subsequent broadcasts also saw him making questionable decisions, such as ending a segment with a salute to Marco Rubio and sharing AI memes of the politician in various roles.
The future remains uncertain for Dokoupil as he navigates the challenges of declining ratings and viewer engagement. It remains to be seen how CBS executives will address the situation and whether changes will be made to improve the show’s performance.
