CBS anchor halts live broadcast after cameraman collapses on set in Taiwan

CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil abruptly cut Wednesday’s live broadcast short after a cameraman collapsed on set in Taiwan, prompting an on-air call for medical help.

Mr. Dokoupil was in the middle of his closing segment from Taipei, warning viewers about “the rise of a powerful new China,” when the camera suddenly cut to B-roll footage. “Is he OK?” Mr. Dokoupil was heard asking as the crew member fell offscreen. 

Viewers could see the situation unravel in real time as the camera began shaking while Mr. Dokoupil was still reading from the teleprompter before he stopped mid-sentence. “We’re going to take a quick break. We have a medical emergency here. We’re calling a doctor,” he said before the segment ended. 

CBS News chief correspondent Matt Gutman, stationed in New York, stepped in to sign off on Mr. Dokoupil’s behalf, telling viewers they would be right back. 

CBS Evening News posted a statement on X shortly after the incident.

“Tonight during the final segment of CBS Evening News, our cameraman on set suffered a medical emergency,” the account wrote. “Thankfully, he’s okay and recovering.” The cameraman’s identity and age were not publicly disclosed, and the circumstances surrounding his medical episode remain unclear.

Mr. Dokoupil was broadcasting from Taipei rather than Beijing, where President Trump is holding a two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, after CBS reportedly failed to secure a visa for mainland China in time. It remains unclear whether the issue stemmed from a late application or another cause. His network competitors, NBC News anchor Tom Llamas and ABC News anchor David Muir, were both reporting from Beijing. 

One industry observer described the broadcast as a “cascade failure,” with Mr. Dokoupil also appearing to struggle with his earpiece throughout the show. When CBS News White House correspondent Weijia Jiang tried to toss back to Mr. Dokoupil from Beijing, the anchor was left silent for roughly eight seconds before recovering. 

CBS told the Daily Beast that Mr. Dokoupil’s position in Taipei was intentional framing, with the network saying Taiwan “is at the center of the high stakes talks as China’s geopolitical tensions with Taiwan run high.” A separate CBS source, however, told the New York Post the Taiwan posting was a “cover your ass” move.

CBS Evening News has seen declining viewership since Mr. Dokoupil took over the program earlier this year, currently averaging 3.7 million total viewers and 473,000 in the key 25-54 demographic for the week of May 4.