CBS Is Fed Up With Norah O’Donnell’s Bad Attitude, Big Salary
No one likes working with CBS's Norah O'Donnell. We know this because anonymous sources inside CBS have leaked their opinions of her for years. And none are positive.
Over the weekend, CBS staffers told the New York Post that O'Donnell's "toxic behavior" and $8 million annual salary could lead to her exit from the network when her contract expires this spring.
Complaints about O'Donnell's behavior include mistreating hair, makeup and wardrobe staffers. O'Donnell demands a full "dress rehearsal" before each show, during which she often berates her assistants and producers. She's a bully to those below her -- there's no graver flaw in television than that.
In addition, staffers believe O'Donnell does not put CBS in the best position to compete with its ABC and NBC counterparts. For example, O'Donnell is the only nightly broadcast anchor not broadcasting from Ukraine, thus undermining the network's on-ground reporting.
O'Donnell already lags well behind Lester Holt's NBC Nightly News and David Muir's ABC World News Tonight in the ratings. So any disadvantage only buries CBS deeper.
As a result, CBS has begun looking for O'Donnell's successor. Late last year, CBS offered Brian Williams the role O'Donnell holds on Evening News during its recruitment of him. And because Williams turned down the offer, CBS Mornings anchor Tony Dokoupil has emerged as a rumored candidate for O'Donnell's job.
The television business hardly ends well for anyone. TV personalities either overstay their welcome or become too expensive or lose all internal support. Somehow, O'Donnell checks all three boxes.
How you treat people while you are at the top then decides how hard you eventually fall. To the excitement of CBS staffers, you can expect O'Donnell to fall hard.
Even CBS doesn't want an $8 million-a-year bully anymore.