Maurice DuBois Exits CBS Evening News, Leaving Broadcast Anchorless After Co-Anchor’s Earlier Departure
Longtime CBS journalist Maurice DuBois has announced his departure from CBS Evening News, confirming that his final broadcast will air on Wednesday, December 18, 2025. The exit is particularly significant because it leaves the network’s flagship evening broadcast without a permanent anchor, following the earlier departure of his co-anchor, John Dickerson, in October.
Mr. DuBois, who had been an anchor for CBS-owned stations for over two decades, made the announcement via an emotional Instagram post, calling his 21 years with the network and its affiliates the “Honor of a Lifetime.” His departure comes less than a year after he and Mr. Dickerson took over the co-anchor positions in January 2025, replacing Norah O’Donnell.
Context of the Double Departure
The simultaneous departures of both co-anchors stem from what appears to be a period of significant turbulence and strategic re-evaluation within CBS News:
- Ratings Pressure: Despite format tweaks intended to boost viewership, the program has continued to lag significantly behind its competitors, NBC Nightly News and ABC World News Tonight, in overall ratings and the crucial 25–54 advertising demographic.
- Corporate Restructuring: The network is undergoing a seismic restructuring following the recent merger of its parent company, Paramount Global, with Skydance Media, a change that has resulted in new leadership, cost-cutting measures, and a major strategic overhaul of the news division.
- Leadership Change: The appointment of a new editor-in-chief in October signaled a willingness by the new management to break from tradition and reboot the evening broadcast.
CBS News President Tom Cibrowski released a statement acknowledging Mr. DuBois’s significant contributions and wishing him success, while confirming that the network would have “more details on the next chapter of CBS Evening News in the near future.” His exit means that the historic anchor seat, once held by legends like Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather, will be filled by rotating journalists on an interim basis until a permanent replacement for both DuBois and Dickerson is named.
