News About “Evening News” Coming Soon

CBS News will “roll out more ‘Evening News’ experiments this summer and disclose more about the future of the program before fall,” the network told affiliates yesterday, according to Variety.

The departure of Dan Rather “created not just an option but an obligation to take a hard look at the evening news format,” Andrew Heyward said. “That process is already under way…Bob (Schieffer) has given the ‘Evening News’ stability and credibility in the wake of Dan Rather’s departure.”

“Heyward had ample praise for Bob Schieffer,” Broadcasting & Cable says. “Heyward also thanked Dan Rather, who left the anchor chair in March, for his years of service, but his comments received virtually no applause from affiliates.”

> Update: 3:25pm: The L.A. Times quotes Heyward: “The strategy for reforming and revitalizing the evening news begins with a simple idea: The theme is team. We are showcasing a team of experienced, energetic journalists who present the world from multiple points of view, not a dominant anchor surrounded by a bunch of people you don’t know and don’t care about.”