Tony Dokoupil named anchor of the ‘CBS Evening News,’ first broadcast Jan. 5

Tony Dokoupil will become the anchor of the “CBS Evening News” beginning Jan. 5, 2026, according to an announcement from CBS News.

The newscast airs weekdays at 6:30 p.m. ET on CBS and streams on Paramount+.

Dokoupil has co-hosted “CBS Mornings” since 2019, joining Gayle King and Nate Burleson on the program. In his new role, CBS said he will begin with a national reporting tour, broadcasting from various locations across the country.

“Tony Dokoupil is the person to win [trust in the media] back,” said Bari Weiss, editor-in-chief of CBS News. “That’s because he believes in old school journalistic values: asking the hard questions, following the facts wherever they lead and holding power to account.”

CBS News President Tom Cibrowski said Dokoupil connects with viewers across a range of stories, adding, “He connects instantly, whether he’s talking with world leaders or with families navigating difficult news in their own backyards.”

Since joining CBS News in 2016, Dokoupil has reported from major global events and national breaking news stories. His assignments included coverage of the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in Israel, the Uvalde, Texas, school shooting, the war in Ukraine, wildfires in Hawaii and California, and both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions in 2024. He also covered the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge and political developments on Capitol Hill.

“I realize why a country this big needs a show this ambitious,” Dokoupil said. “The strength of our nation is that we benefit from fair reporting and the open discussion of all ideas. For more than 60 years, the ‘Evening News’ has been a bedrock of that process.”

Kim Harvey, executive producer of the “CBS Evening News,” said the program will open with a tour across the country, adding that Dokoupil “knows what makes this country great and what challenges we face.”

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Dokoupil has interviewed public figures including Vice President J.D. Vance, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Bill Gates, Bill Belichick, Steve Martin, Dolly Parton, Harry Styles, Jennifer Lopez, Greta Gerwig, Janelle Monáe and Ben Stiller.

CBS News stated the anchor transition marks the beginning of “an ambitious new era” for the program, which is the longest-running nightly newscast in U.S. television.

Dokoupil succeeds both John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois, who took over in January 2025.