MEAWW.COM / NEWS / CELEBRITY NEWS

Norah O'Donnell: Internet says 'no one's worth 8 million' as CBS looks to replace her

Reportedly, the network has been looking for her replacement amid dipping viewership, a move which the Internet is not in favor of

In July 15, 2019, Norah O'Donnell took over as the anchor of CBS's flagship 'CBS Evening News'. This marked the second major anchor shake-up at the network after Gayle King was appointed as co-host of 'CBS This Morning' after Anthony Mason's ouster. New reports suggest, O'Donnell is about to lost the top spot on the evening show courtesy of the cost-cutting and broadcasters, in a hush-hush manner are searching for a replacement amid dipping viewership. Her show has hit plateau in terms of ratings and has been stuck in third place, sources with knowledge of the situation said. 

Speaking of anchors losing their jobs, ESPN has witnessed a lot of ousters in the recent past, and the primary reason turns out to be the network's Covid vaccine mandate. Allison Williams, an employee with the network since 2011 spoke about her time with them coming to an end at the end of October 2021 because she didn't want to take the vaccine as she's trying for a second baby. She said she couldn't put paycheck over pregnancy and that it didn't align with her values. Sage Steele was pulled off air because she questioned Barack Obama's Blackness as well as said she felt "defeated" after being forced to comply with the companies vaccine policy. Katie Nolan announced she quit the network on September 29 and ESPN got called out for saying the analyst's talent was wasted at the company. 

READ MORE

Norah O'Donnell's $8M contract is expiring in Spring 2022

According to insiders, Norah O'Donnell draws a paycheck in the ballpark of $8 million annually since signing her three-year contract in July 2019. The network shelled out a sizable amount to move O'Donnell and her husband, chef Geoff Tracy, and their three children to Washington D.C. Her contract is set to expire in July 2022 and the executives are already in the process of looking for her replacement. CBS recently replaced Susan Zirinsky with Neeraj Khemlani as the new co-president. Sources say, along with finding a replacement for O'Donnell, moving 'CBS Evening News' back to New York is also on the cards. 

However, Khemlani has denied both the news in a statement to New York Post. “There are no plans to move the Evening News from Washington. Norah’s presence in Washington has elevated the CBS Evening News’ coverage on all fronts – politics, breaking news, to big interviews including Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen just last week. Her reporting on the military and domestic abuse has won awards and changed policies in Washington. And in addition to making headlines, the program is gaining audience share.” The outlet said it has learnt that Khemlani has hired consultants to find ways to bring down the costs. “Neeraj is charged with bringing down costs and boosting profits and he does not understand why the ‘Evening News’ is in DC,” a source said. 

Sources speculate O'Donnell may endure a salary cut and that she might be given a bigger role than she currently holds on '60 Minutes' while being removed as the anchor on the nightly news. The outlet also learnt that O'Donnell has rubbed people at the network the wrong way. She reportedly has been consistently rude to the hair, makeup, and wardrobe crew despite her "toxic" and "divisive" ways being discussed at the network for years. She also demanded designer clothes throughout the pandemic while reporting on Covid deaths, and unemployment. 

'No one is worth 8 million a year' 

"NO ONE IS WORTH 8 million a year! It’s a insult to honest working people to pay anyone that much to spout out an agenda written by someone else," a user tweeted. "Norah O’Donnell is the reason I stopped watching this show after faithfully watching for decades due to her/CBS TDS. I won’t go back to it no matter who the anchor is!" read another tweet. "She is the worst anchor for CBS-never tells the complete truth about anything-very biased-she starts in I turn it OFF," an irate user wrote. "$8 million a year. Ms Thang has the worst body language of any news anchor I've ever seen. She would be better suited for MSNBC," wrote another.