WCBS‘s 11 p.m. newscast, which lost anchor Chris Wragge to the “Early Show” in January, scored a major ratings win in February with its new anchor duo of Maurice DuBois and Kristine Johnson.
For the first time since the 1994, the year CBS aired the Lillehammer Winter Olympics, WCBS’s late newscast has finished first in the New York market.
WCBS averaged 486,000 viewers during the full week and 502,000 Monday through Friday.
“This is a remarkable achievement and a testament to the hard work of everyone here at CBS 2, both in front of and behind the cameras,” said Peter Dunn, WCBS’s president and general manager.
WCBS no doubt benefited from CBS’s #1 primetime lineup as well as a promotional push touting DuBois’s move to 11 p.m., which included ads throughout the New York City subway system.
DuBois is a familiar face to New York viewers. Before joining WCBS in 2001, he worked for seven years as a morning anchor for WNBC. DuBois, who had been anchoring mornings for WCBS, replaced Wragge on the 11 p.m. newscast at the beginning of the year.
Here’s a promo heralding DuBois’s move to 11: