The No. 2 producer at “CBS Evening News” has reportedly been fired — an abrupt move that comes as the newly relaunched program grapples with on-air gaffes during Tony Dokoupil’s rocky first week at the anchor desk.
The reported exit was first flagged by a Guardian media reporter, who said three sources indicated Javier Guzman was “dismissed” after Wednesday evening’s show, with no clear explanation offered and confusion rippling through the newsroom during the program’s opening week.
Guzman’s exit unfolded as Dokoupil was in the middle of a heavily promoted, multi-city rollout for the relaunched “CBS Evening News” — a tour intended to introduce the new anchor to viewers around the country but already scaled back amid breaking news and internal strain.
According to his LinkedIn page, Guzman started his position as senior broadcast producer on the “CBS Evening News” in August.
For nearly eight years, he had worked as a producer on the broadcast after first joining CBS as a supervising producer for the network’s documentary-style series “CBSN: On Assignment.”
Guzman’s resume also includes stints at Vice Media as well as WNYC Radio.
The Post has sought comment from CBS News. Guzman was not immediately available for comment.
Dokoupil’s debut week at the anchor desk has drawn outsize attention after a series of on-air miscues during the relaunch of the “CBS Evening News,” including a teleprompter mix-up that left viewers watching several seconds of dead air as he openly debated which segment to read next.
The rocky rollout intensified a night later when Dokoupil became visibly emotional on air while talking about his childhood in Florida, prompting a wave of criticism from media observers who said the tearful moment blurred the line between personal reflection and straight news delivery.
Former Fox News and NBC anchor Megyn Kelly was among the loudest critics, blasting Dokoupil for “sobbing” during the broadcast and saying there was “no crying at ‘Evening News,’” arguing that such emotional displays undermine the authority traditionally associated with the anchor role.
Despite the gaffes and backlash, the debut delivered a short-term ratings lift, with the broadcast drawing about 4.4 million viewers — roughly a 9% increase over the show’s season average — though it still lagged far behind ABC and NBC, and insiders cautioned that early curiosity-driven bumps often fade quickly.
Dokoupil’s elevation to the anchor chair was a signature move by Bari Weiss, who handpicked him as the public face of her remake of CBS News just weeks into her tenure as editor in chief.
Weiss promoted Dokoupil from “CBS Mornings” after failing to lure a marquee anchor from a rival network, tying his performance directly to her vision for shaking up the struggling evening broadcast.
His debut has unfolded against the backdrop of what multiple reports have described as a chaotic and contentious start for Weiss, marked by internal resistance, morale problems and high-profile editorial disputes.
Those included her decision to pull a “60 Minutes” segment on an El Salvador prison shortly before air, prompting protests from veteran journalists and a shelved letter signed by nearly 200 former CBS News staffers warning of a crisis of credibility.
Staffers have also complained about Weiss’ hands-on management style, last-minute demands and a costly, partially scrapped promotional tour built around Dokoupil’s launch, all of which intensified scrutiny of the anchor’s early stumbles.
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