Bari Weiss expands CBS News contributor roster with podcasters and writers

CBS News announced today that editor-in-chief Bari Weiss has expanded the network's contributor lineup with several podcasters and writers. This move comes as CBS aims to bolster its digital opinion programming amid shifting audience preferences toward personality-driven commentary. The new hires include voices from independent podcasting and digital publishing backgrounds, though specific names weren't disclosed in the initial announcement.

This expansion occurs against a backdrop of significant podcast industry growth. Podcast advertising revenue reached $2.2 billion in 2023 according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau, with news/talk formats capturing 22% market share. CBS parent company Paramount Global reported $30.1 billion in total revenue last year, with streaming services contributing $6.9 billion – a segment where podcast content serves as both audience acquisition tool and supplementary revenue stream.

Weiss, who joined CBS in 2023 after founding news site The Free Press, brings a track record of building audience engagement through provocative commentary. Her own podcast, Honestly with Bari Weiss, consistently ranks among Apple's top news podcasts. The contributor expansion appears strategically timed as networks compete for talent amid podcast industry consolidation – Spotify alone acquired podcast companies worth $1.3 billion between 2019-2021 before recent cost-cutting measures.

Analysts note this signals CBS's commitment to opinion programming as a differentiator in the crowded streaming landscape. Paramount+ added 4.1 million subscribers last quarter, trailing Disney+'s 7.9 million additions. By leveraging Weiss's curation skills and podcasting expertise, CBS potentially gains dual benefits: attracting younger demographics that prefer on-demand audio while creating cross-platform content for Paramount's linear and digital properties.

The financial implications remain measured but meaningful. Top-tier podcast hosts can command $500,000+ annually for exclusive deals, while contributor arrangements typically involve lower fixed fees with performance bonuses. For CBS, the talent investment represents a relatively low-risk expansion compared to producing scripted content, which costs $2-15 million per episode. Success metrics will include audience retention in CBS News' digital properties and advertising CPM premiums for opinion content, which typically command 20-30% higher rates than straight news programming according to industry benchmarks.