Last week, CBS News flew “CBS Mornings” co-host Tony Dokoupil into Washington from New York to anchor a 9 a.m. special report on the Jan. 6 Capitol Riot anniversary.
The New York Post reports that it was no coincidence that the network tapped Dokoupil to anchor this special. According to some staffers, it looked like a possible tryout for anchor Norah O’Donnell’s job.
O’Donnell’s contract is up, and her rumored $8 million salary is a target for CBS News co-president Neeraj Khemlani to cut costs from the network’s budget.
One of the reasons Khemlani goes with Dokoupil is his salary. The anchor makes $2 million for his duties with “CBS Mornings.” “This is an example of Neeraj trying to prop Dokoupil up and grow him into the role,” the source said.
Furthermore, another CBS insider stated they were puzzled to see Dokoupil head to DC when they have O’Donnell. “Why would they send Dokoupil?” the insider said. “Wasn’t this the whole reason to move Norah to DC?”
Meanwhile, another insider stated that they anticipate seeing Dokoupil take on more special reports in the coming months.
Eduardo Razo is the Assistant Content Editor for BNM, which includes writing daily news stories on the news media industry. He can be found on Twitter @eddierazo_ or you can reach him by email at eddie1991razo@gmail.com.
