CBS’s 60 Minutes has seen a noticeable decline in viewership during its second week under a new format, according to early Nielsen ratings reported by The Daily Beast. The show’s most recent episode attracted 6.5 million viewers, a drop of 18 percent compared to the 7.94 million who watched the season’s premiere. The key demographic of viewers aged 25 to 54, often used as a benchmark for TV success, saw an even sharper decline—falling by 30 percent to 1.1 million. While this number is still slightly higher than the second episode of last season, it marks a challenging start for the revamped show. The changes to 60 Minutes follow a period of significant upheaval at CBS News. In October, billionaire David Ellison’s company, Paramount, acquired CBS News, and Bari Weiss, a prominent conservative writer, was appointed editor-in-chief. Weiss has been linked to the departure of several long-time 60 Minutes journalists, including Scott Pelley and Cecilia Vega, while others, like Sharyn Alfonsi, left after their contracts ended. Weiss has faced criticism for allegedly steering the network’s coverage to be more favorable toward the Trump administration and Israel, claims she has denied. To address the staff changes, CBS News announced new hires in July, including Ross Douthat, a conservative opinion writer from The New York Times, and Norah O’Donnell, a veteran CBS correspondent. The latest 60 Minutes episode featured an interview with Patrick Clancy conducted by Douthat, while O’Donnell covered developments around AI data centers in Texas. Before the show’s relaunch, Weiss was reportedly given broad authority to promote the new format, according to Puck News, which suggested a major marketing campaign would highlight the show’s updated style and its 60-year legacy. The revamped 60 Minutes is now under close scrutiny as it balances its long-standing reputation for investigative journalism with the new editorial direction and personnel changes. The drop in viewership raises questions about how well the show’s new approach will resonate with its traditional audience, as well as whether the changes will help it compete in an increasingly fragmented media landscape.