CBS News Sunday Morning
Encyclopedia
CBS News Sunday Morning is an American television news magazine program created by Robert Northshield and original host Charles Kuralt
. The program has aired continuously since January 28, 1979 on the CBS Television Network, airing in the Eastern US on Sunday from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. The current host of the show is Charles Osgood
, who took over from Kuralt upon his retirement on April 3, 1994.
The program was originally conceived to be a broadcast version of a Sunday newspaper magazine
section, most typified by the Sunday New York Times Magazine
. The format was originally aired six days a week, with the weekday version named "Monday Morning," "Tuesday Morning," etc. The weekday broadcasts were originally anchored by Bob Schieffer
(Kuralt eventually took over the daily role, and was for a short time joined by Diane Sawyer
as co-host). However, the weekday show's then-limited 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. ET air time (the long-running Captain Kangaroo
was entrenched in the 8 o'clock hour) hampered its ability to compete with NBC's and ABC's rival two-hour morning shows, though it expanded to an hour and a half in 1981. The Sunday version, however, survived, and remains in its original form. The CBS weekday program, now a full two hours on the East Coast, is now known as The Early Show
. On Sunday, May 17, 2009, the program began airing in high-definition
.
in the center of the CBS soundstage. Each story covered in a given episode has a glass plate with its headline on this pole, which the camera follows after Osgood's introductions. Music in the show is usually limited to the opening and closing title theme. Osgood introduces each story with a short monologue
, then sends the show out to the pre-taped segment. The show usually ends with Osgood going to Washington D.C. to check in on Bob Schieffer
who tells the viewers what is coming up on Face the Nation
followed by a preview of next week's show. After the commercial break it's a 60 second tranquil nature scene. After that, a subtle plug is delivered by Osgood for his weekday The Osgood File radio commentaries for CBS Radio
News, with the closing "Until then, I'll see you on the radio."
The program follows a format similar to a Sunday newspaper, but presented in a television show. Notably, Sunday Morning includes significant coverage of the fine and performing arts, including coverage of topics usually not covered in network news, such as architecture
, painting
, ballet
, opera
, and classical music, though increasingly more popular forms of music have been included as well. The program correspondents tend to ask nontraditional questions of guests; for instance, actor Brad Pitt
was asked about his love of architecture, and Grant Hill
about his painting collection. Television essays similar to the kinds delivered on PBS
also appear, and the program generally has a stable of equally positive and negative news stories to fill up the program when there is no breaking news of note. Story lengths are longer and the pace of the program is considerably quieter and more relaxed than the weekday Early Show. Commentators Ben Stein
and Nancy Giles
appear in recurring segments, delivering their opinion, and correspondent Bill Geist also contributes human interest stories.
The program ends with a nature scene, not given a formal title for most of the program's history but since entitled "Moment of Nature" as it's now a sponsored element. Despite the stereotype of the program appealing primarily to senior citizens, the show actually placed first among its time slot in the key 25–54 demographic, beating all of the other Sunday morning talk shows.
On one occasion, the entire program served as a showcase for classical music
. This took place in April 1986, when a live broadcast of Vladimir Horowitz
's historic Moscow
piano recital was aired. For that presentation only, the program departed from its usual newsmagazine
format and devoted the entire ninety minutes to a complete presentation of the recital. Because the recital was given at 4:00 p.m. Moscow time, CBS was able to broadcast it at 9:00 a.m. EDT. The presentation was such a critical and popular success that it was repeated two months later, and was subsequently released on VHS and DVD.
fanfare "Abblasen
", attributed to Gottfried Reiche
. A recording of the piece on a baroque trumpet
by Don Smithers
was used as the show's theme for many years, until producers decided to replace the vinyl
recording with a digital
of a piccolo trumpet by former Tonight Show
musical director Doc Severinsen
. The current version is played by Wynton Marsalis
.
showed clips from former host Charles Kuralt
.
The February 1, 2009 show saw a celebration of Sunday Mornings 30th anniversary. Segments examined how the world has changed in three decades, the history of Sundays in America and—as a tie-in to the show's logo—the physics of the sun. An artist was commissioned to create new sun logos for the program, which debuted on the February 1 edition and will be used in future broadcasts. CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman will periodically revisit some of Charles Kuralt's memorable personal profiles.
Charles Kuralt
Charles Kuralt was an American journalist. He was most widely known for his long career with CBS, first for his "On the Road" segments on The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite, and later as the first anchor of CBS News Sunday Morning, a position he held for fifteen years.Kuralt's "On the Road"...
. The program has aired continuously since January 28, 1979 on the CBS Television Network, airing in the Eastern US on Sunday from 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. The current host of the show is Charles Osgood
Charles Osgood
Charles Osgood is a radio and television commentator in the United States. His daily program, The Osgood File, has been broadcast on the CBS Radio Network since 1971. He is also known for being the voice of the narrator of Horton Hears a Who!, an animated film released in 2008, based on the book...
, who took over from Kuralt upon his retirement on April 3, 1994.
The program was originally conceived to be a broadcast version of a Sunday newspaper magazine
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
section, most typified by the Sunday New York Times Magazine
The New York Times Magazine
The New York Times Magazine is a Sunday magazine supplement included with the Sunday edition of The New York Times. It is host to feature articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors...
. The format was originally aired six days a week, with the weekday version named "Monday Morning," "Tuesday Morning," etc. The weekday broadcasts were originally anchored by Bob Schieffer
Bob Schieffer
Bob Lloyd Schieffer is an American television journalist who has been with CBS News since 1969, serving 23 years as anchor on the Saturday edition of CBS Evening News from 1973 to 1996; chief Washington correspondent since 1982, moderator of the Sunday public affairs show Face the Nation since...
(Kuralt eventually took over the daily role, and was for a short time joined by Diane Sawyer
Diane Sawyer
Lila Diane Sawyer is the current anchor of ABC News' flagship program, ABC World News. Previously, Sawyer had been co-anchor of ABC Newss morning news program, Good Morning America ....
as co-host). However, the weekday show's then-limited 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. ET air time (the long-running Captain Kangaroo
Captain Kangaroo
Captain Kangaroo is a children's television series which aired weekday mornings on the American television network CBS for nearly 30 years, from October 3, 1955 until December 8, 1984, making it the longest-running children's television program of its day...
was entrenched in the 8 o'clock hour) hampered its ability to compete with NBC's and ABC's rival two-hour morning shows, though it expanded to an hour and a half in 1981. The Sunday version, however, survived, and remains in its original form. The CBS weekday program, now a full two hours on the East Coast, is now known as The Early Show
The Early Show
The Early Show is an American television morning news talk show broadcast by CBS from New York City. The program airs live from 7 to 9 a.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday; most affiliates in the Central, Mountain, and Pacific time zones air the show on tape-delay from 7 to 9 a.m. local time. ...
. On Sunday, May 17, 2009, the program began airing in high-definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
.
Format
Each episode begins with a short summary of national and world headlines, sports and a national weather forecast—which unlike most morning news programs does not allow a cue to affiliates to run a local weather insert. It then follows a story totem poleTotem pole
Totem poles are monumental sculptures carved from large trees, mostly Western Red Cedar, by cultures of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast of North America...
in the center of the CBS soundstage. Each story covered in a given episode has a glass plate with its headline on this pole, which the camera follows after Osgood's introductions. Music in the show is usually limited to the opening and closing title theme. Osgood introduces each story with a short monologue
Monologue
In theatre, a monologue is a speech presented by a single character, most often to express their thoughts aloud, though sometimes also to directly address another character or the audience. Monologues are common across the range of dramatic media...
, then sends the show out to the pre-taped segment. The show usually ends with Osgood going to Washington D.C. to check in on Bob Schieffer
Bob Schieffer
Bob Lloyd Schieffer is an American television journalist who has been with CBS News since 1969, serving 23 years as anchor on the Saturday edition of CBS Evening News from 1973 to 1996; chief Washington correspondent since 1982, moderator of the Sunday public affairs show Face the Nation since...
who tells the viewers what is coming up on Face the Nation
Face the Nation
Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer is an American Sunday-morning political interview show which premiered on the CBS television network on November 7, 1954. It is one of the longest-running news programs in the history of television...
followed by a preview of next week's show. After the commercial break it's a 60 second tranquil nature scene. After that, a subtle plug is delivered by Osgood for his weekday The Osgood File radio commentaries for CBS Radio
CBS Radio
CBS Radio, Inc., formerly known as Infinity Broadcasting Corporation, is one of the largest owners and operators of radio stations in the United States, third behind main rival Clear Channel Communications and Cumulus Media. CBS Radio owns around 130 radio stations across the country...
News, with the closing "Until then, I'll see you on the radio."
The program follows a format similar to a Sunday newspaper, but presented in a television show. Notably, Sunday Morning includes significant coverage of the fine and performing arts, including coverage of topics usually not covered in network news, such as architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
, painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
, opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
, and classical music, though increasingly more popular forms of music have been included as well. The program correspondents tend to ask nontraditional questions of guests; for instance, actor Brad Pitt
Brad Pitt
William Bradley "Brad" Pitt is an American actor and film producer. Pitt has received two Academy Award nominations and four Golden Globe Award nominations, winning one...
was asked about his love of architecture, and Grant Hill
Grant Hill (basketball)
Grant Henry Hill is an American professional basketball player who most recently played for the Phoenix Suns. As a collegian with Duke University and early in his professional career with the Detroit Pistons, Hill was widely considered to be one of the best all-around players in the game, often...
about his painting collection. Television essays similar to the kinds delivered on PBS
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
also appear, and the program generally has a stable of equally positive and negative news stories to fill up the program when there is no breaking news of note. Story lengths are longer and the pace of the program is considerably quieter and more relaxed than the weekday Early Show. Commentators Ben Stein
Ben Stein
Benjamin Jeremy "Ben" Stein is an American actor, writer, lawyer, and commentator on political and economic issues. He attained early success as a speechwriter for American presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford...
and Nancy Giles
Nancy Giles
Nancy Giles is an American actress and television journalist .-Biography:...
appear in recurring segments, delivering their opinion, and correspondent Bill Geist also contributes human interest stories.
The program ends with a nature scene, not given a formal title for most of the program's history but since entitled "Moment of Nature" as it's now a sponsored element. Despite the stereotype of the program appealing primarily to senior citizens, the show actually placed first among its time slot in the key 25–54 demographic, beating all of the other Sunday morning talk shows.
On one occasion, the entire program served as a showcase for classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
. This took place in April 1986, when a live broadcast of Vladimir Horowitz
Vladimir Horowitz
Vladimir Samoylovich Horowitz was a Russian-American classical virtuoso pianist and minor composer. His technique and use of tone color and the excitement of his playing were legendary. He is widely considered one of the greatest pianists of the 20th century.-Life and early...
's historic Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
piano recital was aired. For that presentation only, the program departed from its usual newsmagazine
Newsmagazine
A news magazine is a typed, printed, and published piece of paper, magazine or a radio or television program, usually weekly, featuring articles or segments on current events...
format and devoted the entire ninety minutes to a complete presentation of the recital. Because the recital was given at 4:00 p.m. Moscow time, CBS was able to broadcast it at 9:00 a.m. EDT. The presentation was such a critical and popular success that it was repeated two months later, and was subsequently released on VHS and DVD.
Production
The program is marked by its distinctive "Sun" logo. In addition, in between some segments images of the sun in various forms also appear. The show's theme is the trumpetTrumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
fanfare "Abblasen
Abblasen
Abblasen is a trumpet fanfare attributed to Gottfried Reiche. In Haussmann's famous portrait of Reiche, he is seen holding a scrap of paper with two lines of melody written on it. Abblassen is a reconstruction of what appears to be on the manuscript in Haussmann's painting...
", attributed to Gottfried Reiche
Gottfried Reiche
Gottfried Reiche was a German trumpet player and composer of the Baroque era. He is best known for having been Johann Sebastian Bach's chief trumpeter at Leipzig from Bach's arrival there in 1723 until Reiche's death....
. A recording of the piece on a baroque trumpet
Baroque trumpet
The baroque trumpet is a musical instrument in the brass family. It was invented in the mid-20th century based on ideas from the natural trumpet of the 16th to 18th centuries and designed to allow modern performers to imitate the earlier instrument for music of that time...
by Don Smithers
Don Smithers
Don Leroy Smithers , music historian and performer on natural trumpet and cornetto. He is a pioneer for the revival of the authentic, uncompromised natural trumpet.-Biography:...
was used as the show's theme for many years, until producers decided to replace the vinyl
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
recording with a digital
Digital recording
In digital recording, digital audio and digital video is directly recorded to a storage device as a stream of discrete numbers, representing the changes in air pressure for audio and chroma and luminance values for video through time, thus making an abstract template for the original sound or...
of a piccolo trumpet by former Tonight Show
The Tonight Show
The Tonight Show is an American late-night talk show that has aired on NBC since 1954. It is the longest currently running regularly scheduled entertainment program in the United States, and the third longest-running show on NBC, after Meet the Press and Today.The Tonight Show has been hosted by...
musical director Doc Severinsen
Doc Severinsen
Carl Hilding "Doc" Severinsen is an American pop and jazz trumpeter. He is best known for leading the NBC Orchestra on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.-Early life:...
. The current version is played by Wynton Marsalis
Wynton Marsalis
Wynton Learson Marsalis is a trumpeter, composer, bandleader, music educator, and Artistic Director of Jazz at Lincoln Center. Marsalis has promoted the appreciation of classical and jazz music often to young audiences...
.
Anniversaries
On January 25, 2004, CBS News celebrated the 25th anniversary of Sunday Morning with clips and highlights from the show's first quarter-century. Host Charles OsgoodCharles Osgood
Charles Osgood is a radio and television commentator in the United States. His daily program, The Osgood File, has been broadcast on the CBS Radio Network since 1971. He is also known for being the voice of the narrator of Horton Hears a Who!, an animated film released in 2008, based on the book...
showed clips from former host Charles Kuralt
Charles Kuralt
Charles Kuralt was an American journalist. He was most widely known for his long career with CBS, first for his "On the Road" segments on The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite, and later as the first anchor of CBS News Sunday Morning, a position he held for fifteen years.Kuralt's "On the Road"...
.
The February 1, 2009 show saw a celebration of Sunday Mornings 30th anniversary. Segments examined how the world has changed in three decades, the history of Sundays in America and—as a tie-in to the show's logo—the physics of the sun. An artist was commissioned to create new sun logos for the program, which debuted on the February 1 edition and will be used in future broadcasts. CBS News correspondent Steve Hartman will periodically revisit some of Charles Kuralt's memorable personal profiles.
Correspondents
- Rita BraverRita BraverRita Braver is a correspondent for CBS News.Rita Lynn Braver, born April 1948, is married to Washington, D.C. lawyer Robert B. Barnett, born August 1946...
- Martha Teichner
- Bill Geist
- Serena AltschulSerena AltschulSerena Altschul is an American broadcast journalist, well known for her work at MTV News. She is the daughter of author Siri von Reis and Arthur Altschul, a former partner at Goldman Sachs.-Career:...
- Terence Smith
- Tracy SmithTracy SmithTracy Smith is a CBS News correspondent for CBS News Sunday Morning, in addition to reports she does for The CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley, and "48 Hours Mystery". Smith is a former Channel One News anchor and correspondent. She is married to CBS Sunday Morning producer John D'Amelio...
- Tim SampleTim SampleNew England humorist Tim Sample , famous both for his presentation and his Maine accent, has sold well over a million copies of his books, albums, and videos . In the summer of 1993, Tim was recruited by Charles Kuralt as a correspondent for the Emmy Award winning TV Show CBS News Sunday Morning...
- Erin MoriartyErin MoriartyErin F. Moriarty is an American television news reporter and correspondent.Moriarty attended Upper Arlington High School in Columbus, Ohio, and is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Ohio State University...
- Anthony Mason
- Steve HartmanSteve HartmanStephen Robert "Steve" Hartman is a television journalist.Steve Hartman attended a Catholic Elementary School in Little Flower Parish of Toledo, Ohio that has since been consolidated to "Saint Benedict Catholic Elementary School"....
- Mo RoccaMo RoccaMaurice Alberto "Mo" Rocca is an American writer, comedian and political satirist.-Early life and work:...
- Eugenia ZukermanEugenia ZukermanEugenia Rich Zukerman is an American flutist, writer, and journalist. An internationally renowned flute virtuoso, Mrs Zukerman has been performing with major orchestras and at major music festivals internationally for more than three decades...
(Classical Music) - David EdelsteinDavid EdelsteinDavid Edelstein is the chief film critic for New York Magazine, as well as the film critic for NPR's Fresh Air and CBS Sunday Morning. He lives in Brooklyn, New York....
(Film and Television Critic) - Bill FlanaganBill FlanaganBill Flanagan is an American author and television executive. He was born in Rhode Island in 1955 and graduated from Brown University in 1977. His books include Written in My Soul , Last of the Moe Haircuts , U2 at the End of the World , and the novels A&R , New Bedlam and Evening's Empire .As...
(Rock Music Critic) - Faith SalieFaith SalieFaith Coley Salie is an American actress, comedian, radio host and television personality. She first became known for her role as Sarina Douglas on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and went on to host the Public Radio International program Fair Game with Faith Salie.-Family:Born in Boston,...
(Commentator) - Nancy GilesNancy GilesNancy Giles is an American actress and television journalist .-Biography:...
(Commentator) - Ben SteinBen SteinBenjamin Jeremy "Ben" Stein is an American actor, writer, lawyer, and commentator on political and economic issues. He attained early success as a speechwriter for American presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford...
(Commentator)
Previous correspondents
- Roger WelschRoger WelschRoger Welsch is a senior correspondent on the CBS News Sunday Morning program, and was featured in a segment called "Postcards from Nebraska". An author, humorist and folklorist, Welsch was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, and today lives outside of Dannebrog, Nebraska...
1988-2003 - Faith DanielsFaith DanielsFaith Daniels became nationally known for her role in anchoring some of America's most popular news and talk show programs....
1988–1989 - Billy TaylorBilly TaylorBilly Taylor was an American jazz pianist, composer, broadcaster and educator. He was the Robert L. Jones Distinguished Professor of Music at East Carolina University in Greenville, and since 1994, he was the artistic director for jazz at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in...
(Jazz and Modern Music) 1981–2010 - John LeonardJohn Leonard (American critic)John Leonard was an American literary, television, film, and cultural critic.-Biography:John Leonard grew up in Washington, D.C., Jackson Heights, Queens, and Long Beach, California, where he graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School...
(Film, Book, and Drama Reviews) 1988–2005 - Ron PowersRon PowersRon Powers is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, novelist, and non-fiction writer. His face include White Town Drowsing: Journeys to Hannibal, Dangerous Water: A Biography of the Boy Who Became Mark Twain, and Mark Twain: A Life...
(Film, Book, and Drama Reviews) 1979–1988