Key Points
CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil called out “big problems” on the air during his first live show.
The network appeared to edit out a technical mishap for the episode’s streaming debut.
Dokoupil recently shared a public plea for viewers to hold him to high standards of journalism at the head of the show.
Tony Dokoupil’s CBS Evening News debut is off to a rocky start, as an on-air flub that saw the anchor call out “big problems” during Monday’s live broadcast was edited out of the episode’s subsequent streaming premiere.
In clips reposted on social media and media outlets of the live show, Dokoupil pauses to address what appears to be an issue with text on his teleprompter, as he segues from reporting on the recent capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro to another topic involving Sen. Mark Kelly.
“To other news now, to Gov. Walz. No, we’re going to do Mark Kelly,” Dokoupil says in the clips, pausing to correct the issue. “First day! First day, big problems here.”
CBS
Tony Dokoupil during a flub on first ‘CBS Evening News’ show
He continues, asking, “Uh, are we going to Kelly here? Or are we going to go to [fellow journalist] Jonah Kaplan?” ahead of a few seconds of silence during the telecast. Dokoupil then recovers, advising the crew that “we’re doing Mark Kelly, possibly demoted form his retired rank of captain in the Navy.”
At around 14 minutes into the episode’s subsequent upload to CBS’ website, however, the moment unfolds differently. After the topic on rising gas prices and the potential global impact of Maduro’s ouster, Dokoupil moves on to discuss Secretary Pete Hegseth and Sen. Kelly without issue.
“All right, now to another one of today’s top stories: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is moving to have Sen. Mark Kelly possibly demoted from his retired rank of captain in the Navy,” Dokoupil says, uninterrupted as he relays the news.
Entertainment Weekly has reached out to a representative for the CBS News division for comment.
The development comes days after Dokoupil’s New Year’s Day address to viewers to hold him and the legendary CBS program (previously fronted by Walter Cronkite, Katie Couric, and more) to high journalism standards as he prepared to take over the CBS Evening News desk.
The former CBS Mornings personality, who was named Evening News anchor last month following polarizing journalistic figure Bari Weiss’ controversial takeover of CBS News, said that “I have felt like what I was seeing and hearing on the news didn’t reflect what I was seeing and hearing in my own life,” and used that information to make a vow to his audience that he would prioritize them during his tenure.
CBS News
Tony Dokoupil in 2024
“So, here’s my promise to you, today and every time you see me in this chair: you come first,” Dokoupil stressed in the video message. “Not advertisers. Not politicians. Not corporate interests. And, yes, that does include the corporate owners of CBS. I report for you.”
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He clarified, explaining that “I tell you what I know, when I know it, and how I know it. And when I get it wrong, I’ll tell you that, too. It also means I’m going to talk to everybody, and hold everyone in public life to the very same standard.”
CBS Evening News airs weeknights on CBS.
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