Kim Harvey Will Take Reins of ‘CBS Evening News’ as Executive Producer

Kim Harvey will oversee “CBS Evening News” as its next executive producer, a switch that could augur new changes for the venerable program after it lost viewers while experimenting with an unorthodox format.

“Kim brings a sharp news sense and terrific track record of producing from across the broadcast and cable networks. She is a well respected newsroom leader and her relationships with our on-air talent, producers and reporters run deep,” said Tom Cibrowski, president of CBS News. “Her career at the ‘CBS Evening News’ makes her the ideal candidate and I’m pleased to continue working with her on showcasing our extraordinary reporting and storytelling every night.”

Harvey replaces Guy Campanile, a veteran “60 Minutes” producer who was tasked with overhauling “Evening News” with a two-anchor format and a focus on enterprise reporting that has spurred a noticeable viewer exodus from the program. Campanile was acting on a concept designed in part by senior executives who are no longer with CBS News, who hoped to offer an alternative to breezier — and more highly rated — evening news broadcasts on NBC and ABC. Campanile has returned to his old stomping grounds.

“CBS Evening News” remains one of the best-known offerings from the Paramount Skydance-owned network, with a storied history that reaches back to Dan Rather and Walter Cronkite. The current version of the show gives more of a spotlight to the reporters around the globe who help put it together — even letting them surface before commercial breaks to tell viewers to stay tuned for their coming stories. Many stories have CBS News reporters holding forth from Iowa, Kansas, Missouri or spots from around the globe, rather than well-worn perches in front of the White House or the U.S. Capitol.

More to come….