‘CBS Evening News’ gets permanent executive producer

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CBS has named Adam Verdugo as the new executive producer of “CBS Evening News.”

Verdugo, who had been a story producer for the broadcast, has close ties to anchor Norah O’Donnell, who recently signed a new deal to remain with CBS until at least the 2024 elections.

He’s worked with O’Donnell for over 10 years, including when she worked at NBC before jumping to CBS.

“Evening” has been without a permanent EP since Jay Shaylor left in the summer of 2021.

Al Ortiz, who is retiring, was named interim head of the show, but mostly supervised the show from New York despite its anchor and studio being based in Washington, D.C.

Verdugo, who works in Washington, inherits a broadcast in last place, though recent ratings have shown slight increases and growth while other networks shed viewers.

He also may be inheriting a slew of behind-the-scenes drama if a report from earlier in 2022 from the New York Post is true (notably, this report also claimed that O’Donnell would likely be departing the broadcast at the time it was published).

CBS brass, meanwhile, trumpeted the appointment as key to maintaining the “momentum” the broadcast has built.