History of PBS News Hour in Timeline
PBS NewsHour is the news division of PBS, broadcasting a daily evening television news program since 1975 across over 350 PBS stations. Known for in-depth coverage of current events, the one-hour weekday editions are anchored by Amna Nawaz and Geoff Bennett since January 2023. The 30-minute weekend editions, called PBS News Weekend, have been anchored by John Yang since December 2022.
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1973: Emmy Award for Watergate Coverage
In 1973, Robert MacNeil and Jim Lehrer earned an Emmy Award for their coverage of the United States Senate's Watergate hearings for PBS.
October 20, 1975: The PBS News Hour Debut
On October 20, 1975, The PBS News Hour, then unnamed, debuted on over 350 PBS member stations.
December 1, 1975: National Airing of The Robert MacNeil Report
On December 1, 1975, The Robert MacNeil Report began to air on PBS stations nationwide.
1975: Musical Signature
In 1975, the PBS NewsHour had a nine-note 'Question and Answer' musical signature.
1975: Debut as The Robert MacNeil Report
In 1975, the program debuted as The Robert MacNeil Report.
September 6, 1976: Renamed The MacNeil/Lehrer Report
On September 6, 1976, The Robert MacNeil Report was renamed The MacNeil/Lehrer Report.
1977: Charlayne Hunter-Gault Joins
In 1977, Charlayne Hunter-Gault joined the series as a correspondent, serving as a substitute host.
September 1981: MacNeil/Lehrer Productions Takes Over
In September 1981, production of the program was taken over by MacNeil/Lehrer Productions, a partnership between Robert MacNeil, Jim Lehrer, and Gannett.
September 5, 1983: Expanded to One Hour
On September 5, 1983, the program expanded to one hour, becoming The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour.
1983: Hunter-Gault Becomes National Correspondent
In 1983, Charlayne Hunter-Gault became the series' national correspondent.
1983: Rebranded as The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour
In 1983, the show was rebranded as The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour.
1986: Gannett Sells Stake
In 1986, Gannett sold its stake in MacNeil/Lehrer Productions.
1992: Accusation of Pro-Establishment Bias
In 1992, radio broadcaster David Barsamian criticized the NewsHour as being "stenographers to power", accusing them of having a pro-establishment bias.
1994: Liberty Media Buys Stake
In 1994, John C. Malone's Liberty Media bought a 67% controlling equity stake in MacNeil/Lehrer Productions.
October 20, 1995: MacNeil's Retirement
On October 20, 1995, MacNeil retired from the program, leaving Lehrer as the sole anchor.
1995: Late-Night Newscast Planned
In 1995, MacNeil/Lehrer Productions planned to launch a late-night newscast in partnership with Wall Street Journal Television, but it was canceled mid-development.
1995: Renamed The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer
In 1995, following MacNeil's departure, the show was renamed The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.
January 16, 1996: Official Website Launch
On January 16, 1996, The NewsHour announced the creation of its official website at PBS Online.
May 17, 1999: New Graphics Package
On May 17, 1999, The NewsHour adopted a new graphics package with refreshed music from 1983, plus the new studio with a blue globe in the middle.
October 4, 1999: New Correspondents Join
On October 4, 1999, Gwen Ifill and Ray Suarez joined The NewsHour team as new correspondents.
1999: Late-Night Newscast Planned Again
In 1999, MacNeil/Lehrer Productions again planned to launch a late-night newscast, this time in partnership with The New York Times, but it was canceled mid-development.
January 17, 2000: America Online Keyword Added
Effective January 17, 2000, The NewsHour added "America Online Keyword: PBS" to its ending screen for a three-year agreement through April 22, 2003.
February 7, 2000: Availability of Show Archives Online
After February 7, 2000, archives of PBS News Hour shows became available in various streaming media formats on the program's website.
2002: Nightly Business Report
From 2002 to 2010, the PBS NewsHour had a musical signature originally incorporated into the Kalehoff-composed theme for the Nightly Business Report.
March 3, 2003: Program Adds Dates
On March 3, 2003, the program added dates from the 1999 graphics in the beginning.
April 22, 2003: End of America Online Keyword Agreement
On April 22, 2003 the three-year agreement of "America Online Keyword: PBS" with The NewsHour ended.
April 23, 2003: America Online Keyword Added to Website
On April 23, 2003, The NewsHour added "America Online Keyword: PBS" to its website.
November 17, 2003: Program Adds Music
On November 17, 2003, The NewsHour added music in the beginning with dates.
2004: Ifill Moderates Vice Presidential Debate
In 2004, Gwen Ifill moderated a debate between U.S. vice presidential candidates Dick Cheney and John Edwards.
October 2005: Guest List Analysis by FAIR
From October 2005 to March 2006, Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) found that the PBS News Hour's guest list had Republicans outnumbering Democrats 2–1.
January 4, 2006: Inclusion of Afghanistan Casualties in 'Honor Roll'
On January 4, 2006, the PBS News Hour added the names of military personnel killed in Afghanistan to its "Honor Roll" segment.
May 17, 2006: Presentation Change
On May 17, 2006, the program underwent its first major change in presentation in years, adopting a new graphics package and reorchestrated theme music.
October 2006: FAIR Accusation of Lack of Balance and Diversity
In October 2006, Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) accused the PBS News Hour of lacking balance, diversity, and viewpoints of the general public, and for presenting corporate viewpoints.
March 26, 2007: NBC Nightly News HD Broadcast
On March 26, 2007, NBC Nightly News became the first nightly broadcast network newscast to begin broadcasting in high definition.
December 17, 2007: Began Broadcasting in High Definition
On December 17, 2007, the NewsHour began broadcasting in high definition, also introducing a new set and converting its graphics package to HD.
November 2008: Lehrer Moderates Political Debates
By November 2008, Jim Lehrer had moderated more than ten debates between major U.S. presidential candidates.
May 11, 2009: Program Revamp Announced
On May 11, 2009, PBS announced that the program would be revamped on December 7 of that year under the revised title, PBS NewsHour, returning to a two-anchor format.
December 4, 2009: Introduction of MacNeil/Lehrer Journalism Guidelines
On December 4, 2009, Jim Lehrer introduced guidelines for what he called "MacNeil/Lehrer journalism" when introducing the new PBS NewsHour format.
2009: Renamed to PBS NewsHour
In 2009, the program was renamed to its current title, PBS NewsHour.
September 27, 2010: Chairman's Award at News & Documentary Emmy Awards
On September 27, 2010, PBS NewsHour was presented with the Chairman's Award at the 31st News & Documentary Emmy Awards.
2010: Nightly Business Report
From 2002 to 2010, the PBS NewsHour had a musical signature originally incorporated into the Kalehoff-composed theme for the Nightly Business Report.
June 6, 2011: Lehrer Ends Tenure
On June 6, 2011, Jim Lehrer formally ended his tenure as a regular anchor of the program.
December 30, 2011: Lehrer's Last Political Analysis Segment
On December 30, 2011, Jim Lehrer led his last political analysis segment with Mark Shields and David Brooks.
March 2013: Plans to Expand Program
In March 2013, plans were under development to expand the PBS NewsHour to include Saturday and Sunday editions.
June 17, 2013: Weekend Editions Premiere Announced
On June 17, 2013, PBS NewsHour announced that the weekend editions of the program would premiere on September 7, 2013, with Hari Sreenivasan serving as anchor.
August 6, 2013: Ifill and Woodruff Named Co-Anchors
On August 6, 2013, Gwen Ifill and Judy Woodruff were named co-anchors and co-managing editors of the NewsHour.
September 6, 2013: PBS NewsHour Continues with Various Anchors
On September 6, 2013, PBS NewsHour continues with various anchors.
September 7, 2013: Premiere of PBS News Weekend
On September 7, 2013, the 30-minute weekend editions, branded as PBS News Weekend, premiered.
October 8, 2013: Ownership Transfer Offered
On October 8, 2013, MacNeil/Lehrer Productions offered to transfer ownership in the PBS NewsHour to WETA.
2013: Weekend Editions Began
In 2013, weekend editions of the program began airing.
June 17, 2014: Transfer Approved
On June 17, 2014, WETA's board of trustees approved the transfer of ownership of PBS NewsHour.
2014: Donation to WETA-TV
In 2014, MacNeil/Lehrer Productions announced its donation, as NewsHour Productions LLC, to WETA-TV as a nonprofit subsidiary.
July 20, 2015: New Visual Appearance
On July 20, 2015, the PBS NewsHour introduced an overhauled visual appearance for its weekday broadcasts, debuting a new minimalist set and graphics package.
August 29, 2015: Weekend Edition Update
On August 29, 2015, PBS NewsHour Weekend transitioned to the same theme music and a reworked version of the graphics package used for the weekday broadcasts.
November 14, 2016: Death of Gwen Ifill
After Gwen Ifill's death was announced on November 14, 2016, that evening's edition of the PBS NewsHour was dedicated to her and her influence on journalism.
November 2016: Ifill's Breaks from Anchor Duties
In November 2016, Gwen Ifill took breaks from her NewsHour anchor duties while undergoing treatment for cancer.
January 2017: Livestream of Trump Inauguration on Twitter
In January 2017, the News Hour provided livestreaming of special events, notably the inauguration of Donald Trump, on the program's Twitter account.
March 2017: Woodruff Becomes Sole Anchor
In March 2017, Judy Woodruff went on to become sole anchor after a period featuring guest anchors.
2018: The Plastic Problem Aired
In 2018, The Plastic Problem aired on PBS NewsHour.
October 14, 2019: Launch of PBS NewsHour West
On October 14, 2019, PBS NewsHour launched "PBS NewsHour West" at Arizona State University, anchored by Stephanie Sy.
December 27, 2019: Nightly Business Report Series Finale
On December 27, 2019, the series finale of Nightly Business Report aired. It had been the lead-in to News Hour on many member stations.
2019: Stephanie Sy Anchors Western News Updates
In 2019, Stephanie Sy began anchoring news updates targeted for viewers in the Western United States, online, and late at night. These updates originate from Arizona State University.
2019: Peabody Award for The Plastic Problem
In 2019, The Plastic Problem won a Peabody Award.
January 2021: Political Analysis Segment with Capehart and Brooks
Since January 2021, the PBS News Hour has featured a political analysis and discussion segment on Fridays with Washington Post columnist Jonathan Capehart and The New York Times columnist David Brooks.
August 30, 2021: Final Airing of 'Honor Roll' Segment
On August 30, 2021, the PBS NewsHour aired the final "Honor Roll" segment, following the end of the War in Afghanistan.
March 27, 2022: Weekend Broadcast Originates from Manhattan
Until the March 27, 2022 edition, the Saturday and Sunday editions originated from the Tisch/WNET Studios at Lincoln Center in Manhattan.
April 2, 2022: WETA Assumes Production of Weekend Editions
On April 2, 2022, WETA took over the production of the Saturday and Sunday editions of the NewsHour. These editions were retitled PBS News Weekend and began to originate from WETA's Washington facility, aiming to streamline production and share resources with Washington Week.
April 2022: Production Transfer to WETA
In April 2022, WNET transferred all of its PBS NewsHour involvement to WETA.
May 13, 2022: Woodruff Announces Departure
On May 13, 2022, Judy Woodruff announced to NewsHour staff that she would step down as anchor at the end of the year, but would continue to report and do special projects for WETA.
December 8, 2022: John Yang announced as weekend anchor
On December 8, 2022, PBS NewsHour announced that John Yang would become an anchor for the weekend editions, starting on December 31, 2022.
December 30, 2022: Woodruff's Final Broadcast as Anchor
On December 30, 2022, Judy Woodruff made her final broadcast as anchor of the NewsHour.
2022: Program Moved Back to Washington
In 2022, PBS NewsHour Weekend moved back to Washington.
December 31, 2022: John Yang Anchors PBS News Weekend
On December 31, 2022, John Yang became the anchor of the 30-minute weekend editions branded as PBS News Weekend.
January 2, 2023: New Anchors for Weekday Edition
On January 2, 2023, Amna Nawaz and Geoff Bennett became the anchors for the one-hour weekday editions of the PBS News Hour.
December 15, 2023: Premiere of PBS News Weekly
On December 15, 2023, PBS premiered PBS News Weekly, a digital-only half-hour summary series of News Hour stories from the week, initially hosted by Nick Schifrin and broadcast on Fridays.
June 10, 2024: New Logo and Studio Introduced
On June 10, 2024, PBS News Hour introduced a new logo and studio featuring the current PBS logo and the program's text and graphics in the PBS Sans typeface. The camel case in the name was discontinued, changing "NewsHour" to "News Hour."
July 21, 2025: Corporation for Public Broadcasting Not Among Sponsors
On July 21, 2025, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting was not among the sponsors for the PBS News Hour for the first time in over 40 years. Nawaz and Bennett addressed the absence at the end of the program that night.
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