CBS News is discontinuing its streaming-exclusive morning and evening programs as part of sweeping cost reductions at Paramount Global, with nearly 100 staffers losing their jobs in the latest wave of layoffs.
The cancellations target CBS Mornings Plus, the third-hour streaming extension of the flagship morning broadcast, and CBS Evening News Plus, its evening counterpart according to Deadline. Both shows launched within the past year to bolster Paramount’s streaming footprint on Pluto TV and Paramount+. CBS Saturday Morning, the weekend edition, will undergo a significant overhaul, though specifics remain undisclosed. The network is also shuttering its Johannesburg bureau, eliminating one of its last remaining international outposts outside major capitals.
The cuts, confirmed by multiple sources inside CBS News, represent the most visible contraction of the division since Skydance Media completed its acquisition of Paramount Global earlier this year. Paramount has already eliminated roughly 1,000 positions company-wide, with another 1,000 expected in the coming weeks. The CBS News reductions account for a substantial portion of the current round.
CBS Mornings Plus, hosted by Adriana Diaz and Tony Dokoupil, debuted in 2023 as an experiment in long-form streaming content, featuring deeper interviews and lifestyle segments tailored for digital audiences. CBS Evening News Plus, anchored by John Dickerson, followed a similar model, offering extended analysis and field reports. Dickerson had already announced his departure from the network at year’s end, making the program’s cancellation a foregone conclusion in internal conversations.
The fate of CBS Saturday Morning co-hosts Michelle Miller and Dana Jacobson remains uncertain. The program, which has carved out a niche with cultural storytelling and author interviews, will be restructured to align with leaner resources. Jeff Glor, the former CBS Evening News anchor who transitioned to weekend hosting duties, was let go in a prior cost-cutting move last year.
Staff morale inside the CBS Broadcast Center in New York has plummeted. Employees describe an atmosphere of dread, with many fearing additional rounds despite assurances that the bulk of reductions have occurred. The Johannesburg closure eliminates a key pipeline for African coverage, leaving the network reliant on wire services and stringers for the continent.
The timing of the cuts has raised eyebrows internally, coming just weeks after Bari Weiss was installed as editor-in-chief of the news division—a move intended to signal a strategic reboot rather than retrenchment. Sources say the layoffs were finalized before Weiss assumed her role, part of a broader efficiency mandate from Skydance leadership.
Paramount’s streaming strategy, once a centerpiece of former CEO Bob Bakish’s vision, has come under intense scrutiny. Pluto TV and Paramount+ have struggled to monetize news content at scale, with linear ratings for the flagship broadcasts remaining the primary revenue driver. The decision to axe the Plus editions reflects a broader pivot away from resource-intensive digital exclusives.
The layoffs extend beyond on-air talent. Producers, editors, digital staff, and international correspondents are among those affected. The Johannesburg bureau, a holdover from the ViacomCBS era, had already been scaled back in recent years but retained a skeleton crew for breaking news and enterprise reporting.
Industry watchers see the CBS News cuts as part of a larger consolidation trend. Warner Bros. Discovery, NBCUniversal, and Disney have all implemented similar staff reductions as advertising revenue migrates to tech platforms and streaming economics remain volatile. The National Association of Broadcast Employees and Technicians, the union representing many CBS News staffers, has yet to issue a formal response but is expected to challenge severance terms.
For now, the flagship CBS Mornings and CBS Evening News broadcasts remain intact, anchored by Gayle King, Tony Dokoupil, and Norah O’Donnell on weekdays, with John Dickerson filling the evening slot through December. Weekend programming will continue in interim form as the Saturday overhaul takes shape.
The cuts mark the end of an ambitious but short-lived experiment in streaming news, underscoring the precarious balance between legacy broadcast strength and digital ambition in an industry still searching for sustainable models.
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