Bari Weiss' High-Profile CBS Town Hall with Erika Kirk Draws Dismal Ratings, Sparking Internal Backlash

New York – A much-anticipated CBS News town hall hosted by newly appointed editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, featuring Erika Kirk – the widow of late conservative activist Charlie Kirk and current CEO of Turning Point USA – has been branded a significant ratings disappointment, according to industry data and sources close to the network.

The special, which aired on Saturday at 8 p.m. ET, focused on themes of life, loss, and political discourse in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination. Weiss, a former New York Times opinion writer known for her "anti-woke" stance and self-described "radical centrist" views, moderated the discussion. Promoted heavily across social media, CBS Mornings previews, and digital content, the event was positioned as the first in a series of town halls, debates, and in-depth conversations promised by Weiss to address pressing issues.

However, final Nielsen ratings painted a stark picture of underperformance. The town hall attracted just 1.867 million total viewers and 265,000 in the key 25-54 demographic – marking an 11% drop in overall viewership and a sharp 41% decline in the demo compared to CBS's year-to-date averages for the time slot. While a CBS source highlighted some positives, noting a 16% increase in total viewers season-to-date based on preliminary figures and outperforming the prior week, critics pointed out that broader comparisons were skewed by non-comparable programming like NCAA tournament games.

The slot itself is historically challenging, with CBS averaging around 2.1 million viewers over the past year. In contrast, the network's earlier Army-Navy football game that day drew a robust 7.3 million viewers, and its post-game show pulled in 3.5 million – figures that failed to carry over to Weiss's debut.

Online, engagement was equally lackluster. The full town hall video on CBS News' YouTube channel, which boasts nearly 7 million subscribers, garnered only 105,000 views, though related social media clips reportedly reached 185 million impressions across platforms.

The ratings flop has amplified existing tensions at CBS News following Weiss's appointment in October by Paramount chief David Ellison, who tasked her with ensuring equal scrutiny of both political parties and revitalizing coverage. Internal sources described the broadcast as "toe-curling" and "embarrassing," with one staffer telling The Independent: “David Ellison must be mortified by his $150 million investment in someone who’s so quickly revealed themselves to be the most shallow, least interesting person in TV news.”

Critics within the network took particular issue with Weiss stepping in front of the camera as moderator – an uncommon move for an editor-in-chief – suggesting it reflected a personal ambition for on-air prominence rather than journalistic priorities.External reviews were no kinder. MS NOW opinion editor Anthony Fisher called the program "entirely deferential and incurious," accusing it of painting Charlie Kirk's critics in broad, negative strokes while functioning more as "public relations" than journalism, revealing little new information.

Advertisers appeared cautious as well, with the broadcast relying on direct-response spots like SuperBeets, in contrast to major brands airing during subsequent programming.

Erika Kirk, who has made multiple high-rated appearances on Fox News promoting her late husband's book (including segments drawing up to 3.3 million viewers), also used recent platforms to denounce far-right figure Candace Owens over conspiracy theories surrounding Charlie Kirk's death.

17GEN4.com