CBS News Makes Norah O’Donnell Deal Extension Official

CBS News made it official Monday morning: CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell has signed a new long-term deal with the network.

CBS News and Stations co-president Neeraj Khemlani and O’Donnell announced the deal to CBS staff Monday morning on the daily editorial call.

O’Donnell’s contract was coming up, and it was not always clear that she or CBS would renew it. With O’Donnell’s deal official, two of CBS’ flagship broadcast shows have their talent locked in beyond the 2024 election (CBS Mornings co-anchor Gayle King signed a new deal in January). Khemlani says that O’Donnell will continue to be based in Washington, D.C., where the newscast has originated from since 2019.

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Khemlani also touted O’Donnell’s work for CBS News’ streaming platform, where she hosts the interview series Person-to-Person.

News of the deal first leaked out late Friday night.

“I wanted to start with some terrific news that you may have read about this weekend — and to confirm for everyone on this call that Norah O’Donnell and CBS Evening News have reached a new agreement that has Norah continuing as anchor and managing editor of the CBS Evening News from Washington and contributing to 60 Minutes,” Khemlani told staff.

“The CBS Evening News with Norah O’Donnell has proven itself to be a formidable broadcast, delivering impactful reporting that has reverberated across the country,” he added. “It has stood out in the news landscape for its range of reporting, award-winning journalism and exclusive investigations, as well as its proximity to events in Washington where Norah’s political reporting background enhances our nightly and breaking news coverage. We are extremely proud of the program Norah and the Evening News team have created, and we look forward to continuing this important work together.”

“I just wanted to thank everyone. I wanted to thank Neeraj. I wanted to thank Wendy [McMahon, the other CBS News and Stations co-president]. I am so excited about what’s ahead,” O’Donnell said. “Many people ask me about this broadcast, and I always say we built trust in this news organization and this broadcast by telling the truth. It’s the cornerstone of what we do every night. And I’ve never worked with a better group of people than I do now at CBS News. So thank you for all of your hard work. Thanks to our teams on the ground in Ukraine who every single night deliver the most important reporting that not only informs our viewers but informs the world.”