Whereas Dokoupil pulled in over 4 million whole viewers for the week, simply 458,000 of them got here from the advertiser-wanted 25–54 age demo.
The printed was down 9% in whole viewers and a pointy 21% within the demo in comparison with the earlier week. Much more regarding: year-over-year comparisons present a 7% drop in whole viewers and a steep 28% decline within the demo.
“The entire viewers is ageing, and the demo erosion is what retains executives up at evening,” one TV information supply instructed Hollywood insider Rob Shuter, who writes on Substack. “You possibly can’t construct a future on shrinking youthful numbers.”
Scores have been dismal for Dokoupil since his January debut, with numbers down considerably throughout main promoting demographics. Based on Nielsen information obtained by Radar, viewership was down 22 % in contrast with the identical day final 12 months.
The numbers obtained worse compared with different splashy anchor debuts on the Tiffany community – down 17 % from the beginning of duo Maurice DuBois and John Dickerson, whom Dokoupil changed; down 20 % from Norah O’Donnell earlier than them; and down a whopping 67 % from Katie Couric’s premiere in 2006.
One insider blasted the newscasts and the errors.
“It is exhausting to come back from a spot of authority when everybody, together with you, is aware of you might be simply ‘Bari’s b—-‘,” one business insider instructed Radar. “Curious to see how for much longer the Ellisons will tolerate this utter defenestration of CBS Information earlier than they step in.”
The wheels got here off nearly instantly for Dokoupil, who had a visual meltdown throughout his first official broadcast on January 5.
After opening the telecast with the newest on the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, Dokoupil discovered himself making information when he grew to become confused about which story to cowl subsequent: Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s announcement that he wouldn’t search reelection or Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth’s censure of Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly.
The 45-year-old tried to stammer by means of a segue.
“To different information, as you simply heard from Jill… to different information now, to Gov. Walz,” he mentioned as Kelly’s picture appeared over his shoulder. “No, we’re gonna do Mark Kelly.”
That was adopted by an awkwardly lengthy silence earlier than the CBS crew lastly settled on the Kelly story.
As video of Kelly began to run, a clearly confused Dokoupil shook his head and smirked, earlier than melting down: “First day, large issues right here.”
Only a day later, Dokoupil, reporting remotely from Miami, ended his broadcast with a glorified salute to former Florida senator and present Secretary of State, Marco Rubio.
“No matter you consider his politics, you have to admit it is a powerful résumé,” Dokoupil instructed viewers.
He then shared a group of supposed-to-be comical AI memes that positioned a cutout of Rubio in different roles, such because the prime minister of Greenland, the top of Hilton Motels, the brand new supervisor of Manchester United, and, lastly, as the brand new Michelin man.
Dokoupil wrapped up the published gushing: “These memes might not add as much as a lot, however for Rubio’s hometown followers, that are many round right here in Miami, it is a signal of how Florida, as soon as an American punchline, has grow to be a frontrunner on the world stage.”
“Marco Rubio, we salute you,” he added. “You’re the last word Florida man.”