Scott Pelley Will Anchor CBS Evening News Through June 16

By Chris Ariens 

Scott Pelley is back from his reporting trip for 60 Minutes and will finish up his anchor and managing editor role at CBS Evening News next Friday.

It was announced last week that Pelley would be leaving the anchor chair after 6 years on the No. 3 broadcast. He’ll focus full time on 60 Minutes.

Baltimore Sun’s David Zurawik summed it up this way on Reliable Sources on Sunday: “Here’s what I think about Scott Pelley. Pelley’s done a lot of good things. I share most of his values as a journalist. But he mimicked, he imitated Dan Rather, even Edward R. Murrow, in an age where it’s a much different television medium. It’s more improvisational, it’s more fluid, it’s more relaxed. His formality from that era when television was more formal with someone speaking down to you from the heights of the anchor desk, is gone. And he was not going to pick up.”

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The broadcast moved into the CBS This Morning studio last year allowing for a more informal presentation. The show also crated a fast-paced open, and Pelley himself has taken a tough, critical position in his Trump reporting. But that hasn’t moved the needle. In fact, ratings for all three evening newscasts have been down since Pres. Trump took office, as news viewers flock to cable news for information, discussion, and debate that fits their world view.

Anthony Mason will anchor the Evening News until a permanent replacement is named.

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