CBS News president David Rhodes sent an end-of-year note to the news division earlier this week, thanking them for what he called “a terrific year.”
Rhodes highlights the growth at CBS This Morning, the competitive position of CBS Evening News, and the moderator switch at Face the Nation which occurred “without missing a beat.”
“In this intense news environment, the quality of the reporting from around the world and the credibility we have with viewers has distinguished CBS News,” he wrote.
Here’s Rhodes’ full note:
It’s been a terrific year for CBS News, and I want to take a moment to thank everyone as we go into the holidays and prepare for what promises to be a tremendous 2016.
In recent years we’ve kept our focus on original reporting—at times that has felt like swimming upstream. But in this intense news environment, the quality of the reporting from around the world and the credibility we have with viewers has distinguished CBS News.
Our core news broadcasts have all shown strength. CBS This Morning has seen year-over-year growth for 38 straight months. 60 Minutes is up in younger viewers—aged 18-49 and 25-54. The CBS Evening News is more competitive than ever in the news demographic and finished the season with the highest ratings in nine years. Every program has given us something to be proud of this year.
On politics, Face the Nation went through an important transition over the summer without missing a beat and helped the network deliver the most critically acclaimed presidential primary debate thus far.
Our digital efforts are better-integrated across the news division. With the evolution of cbsnews.com and CBSN, our original reporting throughout the organization is reaching more people than ever.
CBS News remains the most-awarded news division, winning ten Murrows and another nine Emmy awards this year—with a DuPont-Columbia on the way in January. There are many ways to judge success but these honors from our peers prove that we can grow our audience without compromising our values and our commitment to quality journalism.
Thank you, again, and a Happy New Year to all.