News ratings puzzle CBS exec

CBS News President Andrew Heyward expressed surprise Monday over the ratings of “The CBS Evening News,” which has dropped to record-low viewership this summer.

News division executives were studying ways to reverse the slump, he said.

“I’m frankly puzzled,” Heyward told a gathering of television writers. He said that the newscast, anchored by Dan Rather, and its “journalistic fundamentals” were sound, pointing to six recent Emmy nominations for the newscast.

The program is not getting enough credit for its news presentation, Heyward said. There needs to be better promotion of its unique elements, including feature stories on people and families around America.

No major changes are expected.

“We don’t want to tinker mindlessly. We don’t want to treat this as a crisis,” he said, adding that there are no plans to replace Rather.

*

-- Greg Braxton