CBS vs Scripps

Evening News Ratings: All Broadcasts Grow in Week of Oct. 19

For the week of October 19, 2026, all three major U.S. evening newscasts showed week-over-week growth in total viewers and the Adults 25-54 demographic. ABC World News Tonight with David Muir maintained its top position, averaging 8.837 million total viewers and 1.198 million in the demo, its best total viewer performance since early March. CBS Evening News with Tony Dokoupil posted double-digit growth in total viewers, up 10% week-over-week and 13% year-over-year, while growing 5% in the demo. NBC Nightly News saw modest gains, up 1% in total viewers and 9% in the demo, with year-over-year increases of 15% and 38%, respectively. Data is based on Nielsen live+same-day big data and panel ratings.

• ABC World News Tonight averaged 8.837 million total viewers and 1.198 million A25-54 for the week of Oct. 19, up 6% in both measures week-over-week.
• CBS Evening News total viewers grew 10% week-over-week and 13% year-over-year, the only telecast with double-digit weekly growth.
• NBC Nightly News was second with 6.72 million total viewers and 1.107 million A25-54, up 1% and 9% week-over-week respectively.

Cable TV Viewership Drops 3.6% as Streaming Grows

Nielsen's The Gauge data for August 2025 to August 2026 shows cable TV viewership dropped 3.6%, while broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC) declined 1.6%. Streaming platforms increased viewership by 3.2%, and other TV viewing rose 2%. The trend reflects ongoing cord-cutting as viewers shift to cheaper ad-supported streaming tiers and alternative services. Total engagement remains strong, but advertisers are reallocating budgets toward measurable, targeted platforms.

• Cable TV viewership declined by 3.6% from August 2025 to August 2026.
• Broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC) saw a 1.6% decrease in viewership.
• Streaming platforms increased viewership by 3.2% in the same period.

TNT Sports Could Move to Free CBS over-the-Air TV

Following the completion of the Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger, forming Skydance, CBS is poised to potentially redistribute TNT Sports programming to its free over-the-air network. CBS Sports president David Berson will lead the combined sports group after TNT Sports chief Luis Silberwasser's departure. Industry speculation centers on shifting high-value events like the Stanley Cup Final and other TNT/TBS properties to CBS to increase reach, as NHL commissioner Gary Bettman advocated. However, pre-merger carriage agreements with distributors like Comcast, DirecTV, and YouTube TV may complicate moves due to exclusivity-based fees. No immediate changes are planned, but the merger positions CBS to broaden free access to premium sports for antenna-only viewers.

• The $110 billion Paramount-Warner Bros. Discovery merger closed on October 6, 2026, creating Skydance.
• CBS Sports president David Berson will lead the combined global sports group.
• TNT holds rights to the Stanley Cup Final, which may move to CBS.

Scripps taps Sean McGarvy to lead news strategy

Scripps announced the appointment of Sean McGarvy to lead news strategy, dated Sept. 28, 2026.

Scripps announces new regional leadership structure for Local Media

Scripps announces new regional leadership structure for Local Media (Sept. 9, 2026); PWHL and Scripps Sports announce national U.S. television partnership for 2026-27 season (Sept. 9, 2026); ESPN & ION to bring WTGL, the new women's team golf league from TMRW Sports and LPGA, to fans across the U.S. (Sept. 2, 2026); Scripps taps NBCU sales veteran to lead small and medium business growth and direct response advertising (Aug. 27, 2026); Inaugural Scripps Sports Women's Basketball Showcase headed to Mortgage Matchup Center on December 16 (Aug. 14, 2026); Scripps' KRTV wins National Murrow Award for 'Excellence in Innovation' (Aug. 14, 2026); Scripps reports Q2 2026 financial results (Aug. 6, 2026); Scripps completes acquisition of WTVQ in Lexington (Aug. 1, 2026); Scripps unites television operations under Dean Littleton's leadership (July 22, 2026); Scripps to release second-quarter 2026 operating results on Aug. 6 (July 15, 2026); Scripps Sports and ION score U.S. media rights for the 2027 FIVB Women's Volleyball World Cup (July 14, 2026); Scripps reaches third major retransmission deal of 2026 with DIRECTV renewal (July 13, 2026).

Scripps Uses AI to Streamline Local Newsrooms

E.W. Scripps has integrated artificial intelligence as an assistive tool across its local television newsrooms to automate routine production tasks and free journalists to focus on original reporting. AI is used to convert broadcast scripts into web articles, scan and surface highlights from lengthy public documents, and flag potential accuracy or bias issues according to internal ethics rules. The company enforces human oversight: editors and news managers review all AI-assisted content, disclosures note AI involvement, and policies prohibit generative AI from writing stories or creating photorealistic images from scratch. Scripps operates an internal platform called the Engine Room, created AI-focused roles, and convenes an AI governance committee. Recent workforce reductions of several hundred positions and centralized digital production hubs have accelerated automation in production and technical roles while the company expands market-specific 24-hour streams and emphasizes transparency and editorial control.

• E.W. Scripps uses AI across local TV newsrooms to assist with routine tasks and production workflows.
• AI systems convert television broadcast scripts into written website stories, with editors reviewing and approving all content.
• Scripps prohibits using generative AI to write stories or scripts from scratch or to produce photorealistic images.