The 1987 theme for CBS Evening News marked the first time the program used an orchestral composition. Prior to this, CBS News adhered to a policy, imposed by CBS-TV President Frank Stanton, that prohibited the use of music. This policy had its roots in the early days of television news when many newscasts relied on syndicated footage accompanied by inexpensive production music. To distinguish itself and demonstrate that it used original footage, CBS chose to forgo music entirely. At the time, their music library consisted largely of tracks used for old radio soap operas, which were deemed inappropriate for news programming. For several years, CBS used a simple ticker sound for the opening, bumper, and closing of Evening News, and from 1984 to 1987, the program featured no music at all.
However, as CBS’s ratings began to decline and NBC’s Nightly News theme, composed by John Williams, gained popularity with viewers, CBS executives decided to revisit their policy. They commissioned composers John Trivers, Elizabeth Myers, and Alan James Pasqua to create a new theme. The music was recorded at 20th Century Fox’s soundstage and took six hours to record.
This theme was retired in 1991, but made two comebacks. When Scott Pelley became anchor of the CBS Evening News in 2011, CBS executives wanted to “reach back into the DNA of CBS News” and decided to bring the theme back. The original recordings were used, though they were slightly remastered. In 2025 when Maurice DuBois and John Dickerson took over as co-anchors, the theme once again returned.
Trivers Myers Music – CBS Evening News close
In the late ’80s they used different openings, but here you can find the one they used quite often. The opening that they have been using since 2011 is a bit different. It’s actually a remixed version of the last part of the long credit close above.
Trivers Myers Music – CBS Evening News open (2011 version)
Trivers Myers Music – CBS Evening News open (1987 version)
Trivers Myers Music – CBS Evening News headlines
This is an especially beautiful version, called the pastoral bumper. It has been used for funerals and broadcasts with particular gravitas.
Are you going to put on the latest CBS Evening News theme (from August 2022) or is this an identical reincarnation of a previous theme?
This isn’t a identical reincarnation of this theme, though it was mostly reorchestrated by Antfood while trying to keep the 1987 signature with the 2021 mnemonic.
If memory serves me correct, the basic theme goes all the back for promos in the Cronkite era. Back then Andrew Duggan voiced promos with the phrase “American vision. World view. That is the promise of CBS News.”
Ldee – not quite; it was used in promos at this time but they were aired November 1987 onwards (with this theme being used for the broadcast soon after). Other tracks were ‘The people of CBS News’ which spanned 3 years worth of use with different names and faces.
The promo you refer to was the first place this sonic branding was used. There was a copy of it on the internet at one point.
I remember this in Cincinnati I used to hate this song as a kid but when they brought it back I loved it
This theme Has Been Legendary It was previously used During the Dan Rather era And the Scott Pelley Era
This theme made a comeback on January 27, 2025! It’s currently the theme for The CBS Evening News with Maurice DuBois and John Dickerson!
They put 1987 Dan Rather back on CBS Evening News tonight.