The Early Show
Encyclopedia
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. The Saturday edition airs live from 8 to 10 a.m. Eastern Time
, but a number of affiliates air it later on tape-delay. The Early Show features news pieces, weather, celebrity interviews and light entertainment
. In some markets, the Saturday version may not air. Having premiered on November 1, 1999, it is the youngest of the major networks' morning shows
, although CBS has made several attempts to program in the morning slot since 1954. The show airs as a division of CBS News
.
The Early Show, like many of its predecessors, has traditionally run last in the ratings to its rivals, NBC
's Today and ABC
's Good Morning America
. Much like NBC's The Today Show and The Tonight Show
, the title The Early Show is analogous to that of CBS's late-night talk show, The Late Show.
On November 15, 2011, CBS announced that a new morning show will premiere in the same time slot as The Early Show on January 9, 2012. CBS News chairman Jeff Fager
and CBS News president David Rhodes stated that the new show will "redefine the morning television landscape." On December 1, it was announced that the new show will be titled CBS This Morning, and that The Early Show will end its twelve-year run on January 9, 2012, to make way for the program. Charlie Rose
, Gayle King
, and Erica Hill
have been named anchors of the new program.
. First came The Morning Show (1954–1956), originally hosted by Walter Cronkite
and very similar to The Today Show in fashion (it, too, ran for two hours from 7-9 a.m. ET until being reduced to one hour to accommodate the premiere of Captain Kangaroo
in 1955
). Additional hosts over the years included Jack Paar
, John Henry Faulk
, and Dick Van Dyke
.
Next came Good Morning! with Will Rogers, Jr.
, which lasted 14 months before being replaced from April–December 1957 by The Morning Show, a variety program hosted by Jimmy Dean
. The program aired from 7–7:45 a.m. ET followed by a 15-minute news broadcast until 8 a.m. with Stuart Novins under the CBS Morning News title, preceding Captain Kangaroo.
counterpart in the way that it was also a hard newscast featuring various hosts and correspondents from CBS News
over the years. It started out as a half-hour broadcast anchored by Mike Wallace
and airing Monday through Friday at 10:00 a.m. ET. Coincidentally, it replaced a CBS daytime magazine program called Calendar
, which was hosted by Wallace's future 60 Minutes
colleague Harry Reasoner
. In August 1965
, upon discovering that they could make more money airing reruns of I Love Lucy
in the 10:00 a.m. slot, CBS moved the broadcast start time to 7:05 a.m. (although most affiliates carried it via tape delay at 7:30 a.m.). Wallace only lasted a year with the change in hours and eventually tired of the grind, leaving to cover Richard Nixon's comeback for CBS News. Wallace suggested Los Angeles newsman Joseph Benti as his replacement.
, it would precede Captain Kangaroo on the CBS morning schedule from 7:00-8:00 a.m. ET. The new hour format now featured John Hart
reading the news from Washington and CBS News Moscow correspondent Hughes Rudd
as an occasional contributor. After Hart replaced Benti as the main anchor in New York, the Washington anchor desk was assumed by Bernard Kalb
until 1972, and by Nelson Benton for a year afterwards.
On August 6, 1973, after Hart left for NBC
, in an effort to emulate The Today Show, Rudd was teamed up with former Washington Post reporter Sally Quinn
. Unfortunately for CBS, within days the hugely publicized pairing of what was dubbed by the press "the beauty and the grouch" (referring to Quinn and Rudd respectively) turned out to be a disaster. Quinn was gone after six months, leaving after the February 1, 1974 telecast. A much more experienced correspondent, Bruce Morton
, later took over the Washington desk, remaining there until 1977
. During that period, the newscast had evolved into a well-crafted package delivered in a straightforward manner, much like Cronkite's evening newscast. Despite the anchor turnover through the years, the broadcast had set a consistent tone which emphasized news and ideas over celebrity gossip or self-help tips. The anchor desk was subsequently shared by the team of Lesley Stahl
and Richard Threlkeld
, while Morton and Rudd returned to both feature reporting and commentary respectively.
and The Today Show. Charles Kuralt
hosted Sundays while Bob Schieffer
hosted the rest of the week; Kuralt took over the daily show as well in the fall of 1980. The program featured long pieces from CBS News bureaus, and many viewed it as a highbrow, classy newscast in the best CBS tradition. Despite critical acclaim, the show remained dead last in the ratings
, and CBS was under more pressure from affiliates to present a more viable morning competitor. So on September 28, 1981, Morning dropped the days of the week from its title (except for Sunday Morning), and was extended to 90 minutes and added Diane Sawyer
as co-host; in the process, Captain Kangaroo
was reduced to a half-hour daily and pushed to an earlier time period (7:00 a.m.).
, who was then anchoring WBBM-TV
's highly rated evening newscasts in Chicago, as Sawyer's co-host. The Sunday edition of Morning with Kuralt as host was kept; it remains on the air as of 2011 under its original title, CBS News Sunday Morning
, now hosted by Charles Osgood
.
By the fall of 1982, Captain Kangaroo
had disappeared from the daily schedule and the new team of Kurtis and Sawyer were anchoring three hours of news in the morning, as they were also seen on the CBS Early Morning News
an hour earlier.
Their teamwork helped boost the show's ratings, albeit briefly; George Merlis, a former GMA producer hired to revamp the broadcast, is also credited by most network insiders with nearly doubling viewership numbers by March 1983. The numbers continued to climb during the summer; during one week in August 1983 it passed The Today Show for the second place spot behind GMA, and was in closing distance behind the latter program for the #1 spot before it dropped back to third place again. After Merlis was relieved from his duties for his trouble, Sawyer, tired of the morning grind, left in the fall of 1984 to become the first female correspondent on 60 Minutes.
CBS News correspondents Jane Wallace
and Meredith Vieira
briefly alternated as interim co-host in an on-air try-out that lasted several months, but both were passed over for the permanent spot. Instead, CBS settled for former Miss America
and NFL Today
co-host Phyllis George
, who was given a three-year contract following a mere two-week trial run. There was little chemistry between George and Kurtis onscreen and the show fared poorly. The low point of her very brief tenure came on May 14, 1985 during George's interview with false rape accuser Cathleen Crowell Webb
and the man whom she had falsely accused, Gary Dotson
. In an effort to get the two to make amends to each other, George made a simple suggestion: "How about a hug?" Both Webb and Dotson graciously refused. That infamous interview alienated audiences and was blasted by critics, helping to put an unpleasant close to George's television career at that point. A very unhappy Bill Kurtis subsequently departed from the show and resigned from CBS News in July, returning to Chicago and his old anchor spot at WBBM-TV. Once again Bob Schieffer served as a brief replacement. Phyllis George eventually left CBS for good that fall.
Maria Shriver
, who had joined CBS as a West Coast feature reporter in 1983, and Forrest Sawyer
, new to the network, were named co-anchors of The CBS Morning News August 30, 1985. After a respectable year but still placed third in the ratings, Shriver and Sawyer made their last appearance on the show August 1, 1986, after CBS announced that the Morning News timeslot would leave control of the news division and be supervised by a newly created unit in the CBS Broadcast Group. Prodded by network affiliates, CBS decided that an entertainment format might work better against Good Morning America and Today, and planning began for a new show that would come to be called The Morning Program. Bruce Morton
and Faith Daniels
became the first in a string of substitutes to host Morning News until it left the air.
"The CBS Morning News was simply shot dead," wrote Jonathan Alter
in Newsweek
. "Underappreciated coanchors Forrest Sawyer and Maria Shriver left the air with a classy farewell after the network's announcement that the perennially lagging show would be canceled by the end of the year."
"Throughout the industry there is shock and derision for the way CBS has handled Morning News, so long its problem child," Tom Shales
reported in The Washington Post
. "Competitors are saying the Morning News fiasco is a symptom of a new disarray in CBS News, and some question whether current CBS News executives will all be able to ride out the storm."
and Rolland Smith
, former longtime anchor at WCBS-TV
in New York City. Radio personality Mark McEwen
handled the weather, while Bob Saget
did comedy bits. The show ran for 90 minutes behind a briefly expanded 90-minute CBS Early Morning News, which had dropped "Early" from its title. However, The Morning Program, with its awkward mix of news, entertainment, and comedy, became the joke of the industry, receiving its worst reviews and at one point plummeting to its lowest ratings in five years. The format was aborted and the time slot returned to the news division after a ten-and-a-half-month run. Hartley and Smith were dumped, while Saget left to star on the ABC sitcom, Full House
. A longtime producer summed up this version of the program upon its demise by saying, "...everyone thought we had the lowest ratings you could have in the morning. The Morning Program proved us wrong".
, former GMA news anchor Kathleen Sullivan
, and Morning Program holdover Mark McEwen. Sullivan would be replaced by Paula Zahn on February 26, 1990. Beginning October 26, 1992, in an effort to stop affiliates from dropping the program, CBS allowed more participation from local stations (Most affiliates have their own early morning newscast, which precedes the national news). Despite a far more successful team in Smith, Zahn and McEwen, CBS This Morning remained stubbornly in third place. It was, however, far more competitive than any of its predecessors. A brand-new set and live format introduced in October 1995
had little effect on the ratings.
CBS News correspondents Harold Dow
, Erin Moriarty
, Edie Magnus, and Russ Mitchell
anchored the show for seven weeks (June through August 1996) after Smith and Zahn left until the new format was in place; alternating every week or so. In August 1996, the show was revamped again, as simply This Morning, with McEwen (replacing Smith) and Jane Robelot
(who replaced Zahn) as co-hosts, news anchor Jose Diaz-Balart
(succeeded by Cynthia Bowers and later Thalia Assuras
, and finally Julie Chen
) and Craig Allen (of WCBS radio
and then also of WCBS-TV in New York City) doing weather. A new system was created where many of the local stations aired their own newscast from 7 am to 8 am, with inserts from the national broadcast. Then from 8 am to 9 am, affiliates air the second-half of the national broadcast uninterrupted. Ratings went up slightly, and at one point the show even moved ahead of Good Morning America in 1998. But it was also a brief ratings success, and This Morning became the immediate predecessor to The Early Show.
In June 1999, Jane Robelot left the show after the show was being replaced by The Early Show. She held the job as anchor at CBS affiliate WGCL-TV
in Atlanta for three years after leaving the show. Thalia Assuras would be co-anchor for the following five months that remained for This Morning. Julie Chen would become the newsreader for the remaining five months. Mark McEwen left the show at the end of September 1999 to prepare for the launch of The Early Show and was replaced by Russ Mitchell
for the remaining month of This Morning. October 29, 1999 was the final show for This Morning, bringing to the end twelve years of CBS This Morning.
to head up the broadcast, teamed with newcomer Jane Clayson
. The show was completely revamped, and affiliates were asked to carry the two-hour broadcast in its entirety as the original This Morning format was abandoned. Mark McEwen
once again did the weather, and Julie Chen
read the news. Ratings
were not encouraging, and were actually lower than the show it had replaced, CBS This Morning. Gumbel left in 2002
, and shortly thereafter Clayson and McEwen were replaced. Clayson may be best known for her awkward confrontation with Early Show food and style contributor Martha Stewart
during this period, described below.
and CBS This Morning host Harry Smith
, former NBC Sports
commentator Hannah Storm
, Rene Syler
(a news anchor from KTVT
, the CBS station in Dallas
), and weatherman
Dave Price
, who was pried away from New York Fox affiliate WNYW
and also was at WCBS-TV for some time after joining The Early Show. To keep affiliates happy, CBS went back to the local/national hybrid format. The show also had a number of "correspondents" who do short segments on specific issues; Martha Stewart
, Martha Quinn
, Bobby Flay
, and Bob Vila
, among others, have been featured in this role. Susan Koeppen (2004-–) is the consumer correspondent.
As previously mentioned, Stewart's participation garnered headlines on June 25, 2002, due to her obsessively chopping vegetables for a salad
while refusing to answer Clayson's questions regarding her stock fraud scandal
– Stewart stopped contributing to the program after the appearance, which was immortalized in an NBC
TV-movie of Stewart's life a few months later.
On October 30, 2006, The Early Show received a revamp, featuring new graphics (with a new blue and orange color scheme instead of blue and yellow) and music similar to those used on the CBS Evening News
(which were also used starting in early October on Up to the Minute
and the CBS Morning News
). On December 4, 2006, it was announced that Rene Syler
would leave the show by the end of the month (her last show was December 22).
the news anchor. On November 28, 2007, it was announced that Hannah Storm
was leaving her co-anchor chair; her last day was December 7, 2007.
would succeed Storm as co-anchor. On January 7, 2008, The Early Show debuted a new set. During the month of December, The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric shared its studio/set with The Early Show. In addition, the show abandoned the aforementioned local/national hybrid format and replaced it with a national format, similar to its network competitors. The ratings for the series dropped with the institution of these changes. However, the gap between The Early Show and second-place GMA has remained virtually consistent as all three morning shows have seen similar ratings erosion.
On April 16, The Early Show scored a coup with the broadcast of British pop music sensation Susan Boyle
singing live for an American TV audience. Not surprisingly, The Early Show enjoyed a relatively successful May sweeps, racking up a 5 percent increase in year-to-year total viewers and remaining flat in the 25-to-54-year-old demographic, at a time when both NBC's Today Show and ABC's Good Morning America were shedding viewers to the tune of 3 and 4 percent respectively.
Howard Kurtz's WaPo profile of CBS Early Show co-host Maggie Rodriguez
says her addition to the program accounts for "an uptick in the ratings, lifting spirits at the broadcast." In recent months, Rodriguez has landed some high-profile interviews with the Caylee Anthony grandparents, Levi Johnston, and disgraced former Miami priest, Alberto Cutié. The scandal beat might not be her favorite, but Rodriguez understands that it's often what her audience gets excited about: "If I were to program a show for my viewing pleasure, I would make it all news", said Rodriguez. "But we're programming for all of America. We have to include Jon and Kate [Gosselin] — regardless of whether I personally care, they're on the cover of every magazine. You can't be so highbrow that you only cover hard news. I'm not a journalistic snob."
In addition to her morning show duties, the Miami transplant had also regularly been filling in as an anchor for CBS Evening News with Katie Couric.
On January 13, 2010, CBS announced that news anchor Russ Mitchell
would exit The Early Show at the end of the week, leaving a gap in the lineup for the perennially third-place CBS morning show. He became the national correspondent for CBS and would continue to be the anchor of the Sunday edition of the CBS Evening News.
and Maggie Rodriguez
anchored with weather forecasts presented by Dave Price
, additional features by Julie Chen
and news updates by Erica Hill
.
The Early Show began broadcasting in high definition on April 26, 2010, becoming the last morning network news/talk program to do so. The Evening News control room was be used, as construction was under way for The Early Shows new control room at the General Motors Building. New graphics were now overlaid to accommodate added screen space, and were also used throughout other CBS News programs.
became the show's new weather anchor, replacing Dave Price. Julie Chen remained a part of the team, presenting additional features with Jeff Glor as news anchor, replacing Erica Hill. Chen was the only member to stay with the program since its inception before leaving the full time anchor position to host The Talk
in late 2010. She remained with the early news program as a Special Contributing Anchor.
On March 2011, The Early Show debuted a redesigned set. The new set included a new anchor desk backdrop, a new reporter area, and a blue color scheme.
On September 2, 2011, it was announced that Marysol Castro would be leaving her post as weather anchor effective immediately.
Since 2011, the program has focused on hard news in contrast to the other breakfast television
shows that show a mix of hard news, lighter news, and infotainment
. Coverage consists of national and international news, including occasional town halls with political leaders and in-depth coverage of major events.
and Gayle King
will be in the program alongside Erica Hill
. The new format will see Rose and Hill anchor the 7 a.m. (EST) hour with King coming in at 8 a.m. to spearhead the conversation aspect. The revamped program would feature more panel discussion, similar to the format of MSNBC
morning show Morning Joe
. Wragge will leave the program and focus primarily on his duties as 6 p.m. weeknight news anchor of CBS flagship station WCBS-TV
. "The Early Show" will technically be canceled. CBS stated that their morning show will be a new show with a different name and format. On December 1, the new name for the program was announced as CBS This Morning.
CBS will continue the hard news
focus as it rebrands the program to add more original journalism, less anchor banter, and eliminate the weather segments.
. It airs at various times through the country on most CBS stations. However, depending on the time zone it may or may not air (some CBS affiliates skip the Saturday morning edition for local newscasts, and some push up the timeslot of the Saturday morning children's program block after the newscast if it ends before 9:00 a.m. in order to make up for it).
The format allows for news and weather cut-ins; not all affiliates provide local coverage. Viewers at stations that do not provide coverage see informal conversation among the anchors during the news cut-ins and a series of graphics showing the weather in various cities during the weather cut-ins. Ira Joe Fisher and, initially, Lonnie Quinn, would read some of the forecast aloud while chatting with people in the audience outside the building. The graphics now run with bed music and no voice-over.
Until the weekday shake-up at the end of 2010, it was anchored by Chris Wragge
of WCBS
and Erica Hill
. Beginning January 8, 2011 Russ Mitchell
returned to co-anchor with Rebecca Jarvis
while WCBS
' chief weathercaster Lonnie Quinn
will continue as weather anchor and CBS Morning News anchor Betty Nguyen
serves as news anchor and coanchors one Saturday a month.
Anchors for the program have included Russ Mitchell
(1997–2007, 2011–present), Susan Molinari
(1997–1998), Dawn Stensland (1998–1999), Thalia Assuras
(1999–2002), Gretchen Carlson
(2002–2005), Tracy Smith
(2005–2007), Maggie Rodriguez
(2007–2008), Jeff Glor
(2007), Chris Wragge
, (2007–2010) Erica Hill
(2008–2010) and weather anchor Ira Joe Fisher
(1999–2006)
Unlike its competitors The Today Show
and Good Morning America
, The Early Show does not carry a Sunday edition, nor are there any plans for one in the near future, due to the continued success of CBS News Sunday Morning
, which has a distinctly different format with long form journalism reports and in-depth interview segments.
for second place the weeks of January 17, 1977 and December 28, 1998. The Today Show was in first place both times. However, CBS outrated The Today Show for second spot over a few weeks in 1984 when Jane Pauley
was on maternity leave. At that time, Good Morning America
was ranked #1.
In 2007, CBS sought to change the 3rd place position of The Early Show in September 2007 by hiring Shelly Ross, former executive producer
of GMA from 1999–2004. Significant changes were made to the program as Ross asserted her influence. For instance, the network no longer allows the frequent local station breaks that were previously allowed during the former broadcast as of January 7, 2008. CBS reportedly views the removal of those breaks as vital to creating a national profile for the program.
However, some CBS affiliates continue to air the full program on another co-owned sister station and continue to air their local morning news; WWL-TV
in New Orleans has never aired the Early Show or any of its previous versions, broadcasting all local newscasts instead, currently from 5am-9am. The Early Show now airs in New Orleans on MyNetworkTV
sister station WUPL
, paired with The Daily Buzz
. Cincinnati's WKRC-TV
airs the full show on the CBS station with an hour of all-local news on their CW
subchannel. Salt Lake City's KUTV (which was formerly owned by the network until 2007) continues to preempt the program's first hour despite the network's insistence.
Tulsa's KOTV airs the full two hours starting at 8:00 AM and moves it's last hour of their morning show to it's CW sister station
.
Industry insiders considered Shelley Ross' influence to be a serious threat and bring the profile of the show up to make the program a true competitor to NBC's Today and ABC's Good Morning America. After six months, Ross was fired from the position, after frequent feuds with staff, particularly Smith and Chen, who reportedly informed management that either Ross would have to go or they would.
Despite the change in staff in 2011, the program remains mired in third place, averaging around 2-2.5 million average viewer figures per week. The program has also faced pressure from management to take advantage of CBS News redefining itself more as a hard news organization after the end of the Katie Couric era, asking the program's staff to take advantage of stories presented on 60 Minutes
and the CBS Evening News and expand on those stories in the morning timeslot rather than following the lead as defined by Today and GMA to the letter.
hit, "Brand New Day" until late October 2006, when it was replaced by the CBS Evening News
theme from James Horner
. On January 7, 2008, CBS made an attempt to relaunch the show with new hosts and set plus an updated theme music that of the James Horner
's composition. The theme was modified for a number of times since the reformat took launch. On June 27, 2011, CBS began using a slower-tempoed version of the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley theme for The Early Show. This theme was formerly used on the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather between 1987 and 1991.
weekday mornings from 4.00am under the title "The CBS Early Show", with Fridays edition being held over to the following Monday. A national weather map of Australia is inserted during local affiliate cut-aways for weather. No local news is inserted, however. America's top 3 breakfast television programs air in Australia almost simultaneously, with NBC Today airing on the Seven Network
at 4.00am and Good Morning America
on the Nine Network
airing from 3.30 am. Unlike the above, The Early Show is not condensed or edited. It is, however, pre-empted in most regional areas for paid and religious programming.
for "Outstanding TV Journalism Segment" for the segment "Reverend's Revelation: Minister Speaks Out About Being Transgender" during the 21st GLAAD Media Awards
.
Talk show
A talk show or chat show is a television program or radio program where one person discuss various topics put forth by a talk show host....
broadcast by CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
from New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The program airs live from 7 to 9 a.m. Eastern Time
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving 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. The Saturday edition airs live from 8 to 10 a.m. Eastern Time
Eastern Time Zone
The Eastern Time Zone of the United States and Canada is a time zone that falls mostly along the east coast of North America. Its UTC time offset is −5 hrs during standard time and −4 hrs during daylight saving time...
, but a number of affiliates air it later on tape-delay. The Early Show features news pieces, weather, celebrity interviews and light entertainment
Light entertainment
Light entertainment is a term used to describe a broad range of usually televisual performances. These include comedies, variety shows, quiz/game shows, sketch shows and people/surprise shows.-Light entertainment in Britain:...
. In some markets, the Saturday version may not air. Having premiered on November 1, 1999, it is the youngest of the major networks' morning shows
Breakfast television
Breakfast television or morning show , is a type of infotainment television program, broadcast live in the morning...
, although CBS has made several attempts to program in the morning slot since 1954. The show airs as a division of CBS News
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
.
The Early Show, like many of its predecessors, has traditionally run last in the ratings to its rivals, NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Today and ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
's Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
. Much like NBC's The Today Show and The 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...
, the title The Early Show is analogous to that of CBS's late-night talk show, The Late Show.
On November 15, 2011, CBS announced that a new morning show will premiere in the same time slot as The Early Show on January 9, 2012. CBS News chairman Jeff Fager
Jeff Fager
Jeff Fager is the Chairman of CBS News and the Executive Producer of 60 Minutes, the hour-long CBS news magazine created in 1968.-Career:...
and CBS News president David Rhodes stated that the new show will "redefine the morning television landscape." On December 1, it was announced that the new show will be titled CBS This Morning, and that The Early Show will end its twelve-year run on January 9, 2012, to make way for the program. Charlie Rose
Charlie Rose
Charles Peete "Charlie" Rose, Jr. is an American television talk show host and journalist. Since 1991 he has hosted Charlie Rose, an interview show distributed nationally by PBS since 1993...
, Gayle King
Gayle King
Gayle King is editor-at-large for O, The Oprah Magazine and the best friend of Oprah Winfrey. She has previously worked as a television news anchor and talk show host...
, and Erica Hill
Erica Hill
Erica Ruth Hill is an American journalist and co-anchor of The Early Show on CBS. Prior to her current position, she was the weekday news anchor and Saturday co-anchor of the show. Hill previously worked as an anchor and correspondent for CNN, Headline News and TechTV.- Personal life :Hill was...
have been named anchors of the new program.
The 1950s
CBS has made several attempts at morning shows since 19541954 in television
The year 1954 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1954.-Events:*January 1 – NBC broadcasts the Rose Parade in NTSC color on 21 stations.*January 3 – RAI launched in Italy....
. First came The Morning Show (1954–1956), originally hosted by Walter Cronkite
Walter Cronkite
Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. was an American broadcast journalist, best known as anchorman for the CBS Evening News for 19 years . During the heyday of CBS News in the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trusted man in America" after being so named in an opinion poll...
and very similar to The Today Show in fashion (it, too, ran for two hours from 7-9 a.m. ET until being reduced to one hour to accommodate the premiere of 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...
in 1955
1955 in television
The year 1955 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1955.-Events:*March 5 – Elvis Presley appears on television for the first time...
). Additional hosts over the years included Jack Paar
Jack Paar
Jack Harold Paar was an author, American radio and television comedian and talk show host, best known for his stint as host of The Tonight Show from 1957 to 1962...
, John Henry Faulk
John Henry Faulk
John Henry Faulk from Austin, Texas was a storyteller and radio show host. His successful lawsuit against blacklisters of the entertainment industry helped to bring an end to the Hollywood blacklist.-Early life:...
, and Dick Van Dyke
Dick Van Dyke
Richard Wayne "Dick" Van Dyke is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer with a career spanning six decades. He is the older brother of Jerry Van Dyke, and father of Barry Van Dyke...
.
Next came Good Morning! with Will Rogers, Jr.
Will Rogers, Jr.
William Vann Rogers, generally known as Will Rogers, Jr. , was a son of legendary humorist Will Rogers and his wife, the former Betty Blake . He was a Democratic U. S. Representative from California from January 3, 1943 until May 23, 1944, when he resigned to return to the United States Army...
, which lasted 14 months before being replaced from April–December 1957 by The Morning Show, a variety program hosted by Jimmy Dean
Jimmy Dean
Jimmy Ray Dean was an American country music singer, television host, actor and businessman. Although he may be best known today as the creator of the Jimmy Dean sausage brand, he became a national television personality starting in 1957, rising to fame for his 1961 country crossover hit "Big Bad...
. The program aired from 7–7:45 a.m. ET followed by a 15-minute news broadcast until 8 a.m. with Stuart Novins under the CBS Morning News title, preceding Captain Kangaroo.
The 1960s
CBS would not make any serious attempt to program against Today for eight years. On September 2, 1963, The CBS Morning News debuted, similar to its eveningCBS Evening News
CBS Evening News is the flagship nightly television news program of the American television network CBS. The network has broadcast this program since 1948, and has used the CBS Evening News title since 1963....
counterpart in the way that it was also a hard newscast featuring various hosts and correspondents from CBS News
CBS News
CBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
over the years. It started out as a half-hour broadcast anchored by Mike Wallace
Mike Wallace (journalist)
Myron Leon "Mike" Wallace is an American journalist, former game show host, actor and media personality. During his 60+ year career, he has interviewed a wide range of prominent newsmakers....
and airing Monday through Friday at 10:00 a.m. ET. Coincidentally, it replaced a CBS daytime magazine program called Calendar
Calendar (TV series)
Calendar is a weekday news and information program that aired in the United States on CBS Television from 1961 to 1963.Harry Reasoner and Mary Fickett co-hosted the program. Each show began with Reasoner giving a summary of the latest news and then introducing the topic for the day, which was...
, which was hosted by Wallace's future 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
colleague Harry Reasoner
Harry Reasoner
Harry Truman Reasoner was an American journalist for ABC and CBS News, known for his inventive use of language as a television commentator, and as a founder of the 60 Minutes program.-Biography:...
. In August 1965
1965 in television
The year 1965 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1965.For the American TV schedule, see: 1965-66 American network television schedule.-Events:...
, upon discovering that they could make more money airing reruns of I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy
I Love Lucy is an American television sitcom starring Lucille Ball, Desi Arnaz, Vivian Vance, and William Frawley. The black-and-white series originally ran from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, on the Columbia Broadcasting System...
in the 10:00 a.m. slot, CBS moved the broadcast start time to 7:05 a.m. (although most affiliates carried it via tape delay at 7:30 a.m.). Wallace only lasted a year with the change in hours and eventually tired of the grind, leaving to cover Richard Nixon's comeback for CBS News. Wallace suggested Los Angeles newsman Joseph Benti as his replacement.
The 1970s
It was during Joseph Benti's run (through August 28, 1970) that the program became the first regularly scheduled one-hour newscast ever on network television on March 31, 1969. Until 19811981 in television
The year 1981 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1981.For the American TV schedule, see: 1981-82 American network television schedule.- Events :...
, it would precede Captain Kangaroo on the CBS morning schedule from 7:00-8:00 a.m. ET. The new hour format now featured John Hart
John Hart (journalist)
John Hart is a retired American television journalist who worked for several different television networks during the 1960s through the 1990s....
reading the news from Washington and CBS News Moscow correspondent Hughes Rudd
Hughes Rudd
Hughes Rudd was a television journalist and CBS News correspondent...
as an occasional contributor. After Hart replaced Benti as the main anchor in New York, the Washington anchor desk was assumed by Bernard Kalb
Bernard Kalb
Bernard Kalb is a journalist, media critic and author.Born in New York City, he covered international affairs for more than three decades at CBS News, NBC News and The New York Times. Nearly half that time he was based abroad in Indonesia, Hong Kong, Paris and Saigon.Near the end of his tenure at...
until 1972, and by Nelson Benton for a year afterwards.
On August 6, 1973, after Hart left for NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, in an effort to emulate The Today Show, Rudd was teamed up with former Washington Post reporter Sally Quinn
Sally Quinn
Sally Sterling Quinn is an American author and journalist, who writes about religion for a blog at The Washington Post.-Personal:...
. Unfortunately for CBS, within days the hugely publicized pairing of what was dubbed by the press "the beauty and the grouch" (referring to Quinn and Rudd respectively) turned out to be a disaster. Quinn was gone after six months, leaving after the February 1, 1974 telecast. A much more experienced correspondent, Bruce Morton
Bruce Morton
Bruce Morton was a television news correspondent for both CBS News and CNN in a career which spanned over 40 years....
, later took over the Washington desk, remaining there until 1977
1977 in television
The year 1977 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1977.For the American TV schedule, see: 1977-78 American network television schedule.-Events:...
. During that period, the newscast had evolved into a well-crafted package delivered in a straightforward manner, much like Cronkite's evening newscast. Despite the anchor turnover through the years, the broadcast had set a consistent tone which emphasized news and ideas over celebrity gossip or self-help tips. The anchor desk was subsequently shared by the team of Lesley Stahl
Lesley Stahl
Lesley Rene Stahl is an American television journalist. Since 1991, she has reported for CBS on 60 Minutes.-Personal life:...
and Richard Threlkeld
Richard Threlkeld
Richard Threlkeld is an American television news correspondent who spent 25 years with CBS News.Threlkeld grew up in Barrington, Illinois. He earned a degree in history and political science from Ripon College...
, while Morton and Rudd returned to both feature reporting and commentary respectively.
The Morning era
On Sunday, January 28, 1979, CBS revamped the program, premiering Morning, which was titled in accordance to the day of the week (Monday Morning, Tuesday Morning, etc.). The weekday Morning series competed with Good Morning AmericaGood Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
and The Today Show. 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"...
hosted Sundays while 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...
hosted the rest of the week; Kuralt took over the daily show as well in the fall of 1980. The program featured long pieces from CBS News bureaus, and many viewed it as a highbrow, classy newscast in the best CBS tradition. Despite critical acclaim, the show remained dead last in the ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
, and CBS was under more pressure from affiliates to present a more viable morning competitor. So on September 28, 1981, Morning dropped the days of the week from its title (except for Sunday Morning), and was extended to 90 minutes and added 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; in the process, 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 reduced to a half-hour daily and pushed to an earlier time period (7:00 a.m.).
The CBS Morning News
On January 18, 1982, again at the expense of Captain Kangaroo, Morning was lengthened to the same two-hour format that Today and GMA were utilizing. Along the way it reassumed the title of The CBS Morning News. An understandably exhausted Kuralt was relieved of his duties on the weekday broadcasts in March 1982, at a time when a restructuring on the Evening News forced his popular On the Road segments to be gradually phased out. By this time management decided that morning news programming should be more competitive and hired Bill KurtisBill Kurtis
Bill Kurtis is an American television journalist, producer, narrator, and news anchor. He is also the current host of A&E crime and news documentary shows, including Investigative Reports, American Justice, and Cold Case Files...
, who was then anchoring WBBM-TV
WBBM-TV
WBBM-TV, virtual channel 2 , is the CBS owned-and-operated television station in Chicago, Illinois. WBBM-TV's main studios and offices are located in The Loop section of Chicago, as part of the development at Block 37, and its transmitter is atop the Willis Tower.-History:WBBM-TV traces its history...
's highly rated evening newscasts in Chicago, as Sawyer's co-host. The Sunday edition of Morning with Kuralt as host was kept; it remains on the air as of 2011 under its original title, CBS News Sunday Morning
CBS News Sunday Morning
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...
, now hosted by 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...
.
By the fall of 1982, 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...
had disappeared from the daily schedule and the new team of Kurtis and Sawyer were anchoring three hours of news in the morning, as they were also seen on the CBS Early Morning News
CBS Morning News
For CBS's main morning news program, formerly known as CBS Morning News, see The Early Show.CBS Morning News is the half-hour daily television broadcast from CBS News that airs following Up to the Minute and features late-breaking news stories, weather forecasts, and sports scores...
an hour earlier.
Their teamwork helped boost the show's ratings, albeit briefly; George Merlis, a former GMA producer hired to revamp the broadcast, is also credited by most network insiders with nearly doubling viewership numbers by March 1983. The numbers continued to climb during the summer; during one week in August 1983 it passed The Today Show for the second place spot behind GMA, and was in closing distance behind the latter program for the #1 spot before it dropped back to third place again. After Merlis was relieved from his duties for his trouble, Sawyer, tired of the morning grind, left in the fall of 1984 to become the first female correspondent on 60 Minutes.
CBS News correspondents Jane Wallace
Jane Wallace
Jane Wallace is an American journalist. She was correspondent for CBS News as well as the news magazine West 57th.-References:...
and Meredith Vieira
Meredith Vieira
Meredith Louise Vieira is an American journalist, television personality, and game show host. She is best known for her roles as the original moderator of the ABC talk program The View and co-host of the long-running NBC News morning news program, Today...
briefly alternated as interim co-host in an on-air try-out that lasted several months, but both were passed over for the permanent spot. Instead, CBS settled for former Miss America
Miss America
The Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
and NFL Today
The NFL Today
The NFL Today is an American sports series that precedes the American football program The NFL on CBS on CBS Sports. The program usually airs at noon on Sundays of the National Football League regular season...
co-host Phyllis George
Phyllis George
Phyllis Ann George Brown is an American businesswoman, actress and a former sportscaster. She is a former Miss Texas and Miss America of 1971.- Early life :...
, who was given a three-year contract following a mere two-week trial run. There was little chemistry between George and Kurtis onscreen and the show fared poorly. The low point of her very brief tenure came on May 14, 1985 during George's interview with false rape accuser Cathleen Crowell Webb
Cathleen Crowell Webb
Cathleen Crowell Webb was a New Hampshire woman, who, in 1985, recanted her testimony from an earlier rape case to free an innocent man...
and the man whom she had falsely accused, Gary Dotson
Gary Dotson
Gary Dotson Litke, James. , May 9, 1986 Associated Press report. The Ledger of Lakeland, Florida. Accessed October 23, 2009. is an American man who was the second person to be exonerated of a criminal conviction by DNA evidence...
. In an effort to get the two to make amends to each other, George made a simple suggestion: "How about a hug?" Both Webb and Dotson graciously refused. That infamous interview alienated audiences and was blasted by critics, helping to put an unpleasant close to George's television career at that point. A very unhappy Bill Kurtis subsequently departed from the show and resigned from CBS News in July, returning to Chicago and his old anchor spot at WBBM-TV. Once again Bob Schieffer served as a brief replacement. Phyllis George eventually left CBS for good that fall.
Maria Shriver
Maria Shriver
Maria Owings Shriver is an American journalist and author of six best-selling books. She has received a Peabody Award, and was co-anchor for NBC's Emmy-winning coverage of the 1988 Summer Olympics. As executive producer of The Alzheimer's Project, Shriver earned two Emmy Awards and an Academy of...
, who had joined CBS as a West Coast feature reporter in 1983, and Forrest Sawyer
Forrest Sawyer
Forrest Sawyer is an American broadcast journalist. Sawyer worked 11 years with ABC News, where he frequently anchored ABC World News Tonight and Nightline and reported for all ABC News broadcasts...
, new to the network, were named co-anchors of The CBS Morning News August 30, 1985. After a respectable year but still placed third in the ratings, Shriver and Sawyer made their last appearance on the show August 1, 1986, after CBS announced that the Morning News timeslot would leave control of the news division and be supervised by a newly created unit in the CBS Broadcast Group. Prodded by network affiliates, CBS decided that an entertainment format might work better against Good Morning America and Today, and planning began for a new show that would come to be called The Morning Program. Bruce Morton
Bruce Morton
Bruce Morton was a television news correspondent for both CBS News and CNN in a career which spanned over 40 years....
and Faith Daniels
Faith Daniels
Faith Daniels became nationally known for her role in anchoring some of America's most popular news and talk show programs....
became the first in a string of substitutes to host Morning News until it left the air.
"The CBS Morning News was simply shot dead," wrote Jonathan Alter
Jonathan Alter
Jonathan Alter is an American journalist and author who was a columnist and senior editor for Newsweek magazine from 1983 until 2011. He is currently a lead columnist for Bloomberg View, a new commentary website. He is also a contributing correspondent to NBC News, where since 1996 he has appeared...
in Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
. "Underappreciated coanchors Forrest Sawyer and Maria Shriver left the air with a classy farewell after the network's announcement that the perennially lagging show would be canceled by the end of the year."
"Throughout the industry there is shock and derision for the way CBS has handled Morning News, so long its problem child," Tom Shales
Tom Shales
Thomas William "Tom" Shales is an American critic of television programming and operations. He is best known as TV critic for The Washington Post; in 1988, Shales received the Pulitzer Prize...
reported in The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
. "Competitors are saying the Morning News fiasco is a symptom of a new disarray in CBS News, and some question whether current CBS News executives will all be able to ride out the storm."
The Morning Program
On January 12, 1987, The Morning Program made its debut hosted by actress Mariette HartleyMariette Hartley
Mary Loretta "Mariette" Hartley is an American character actress.-Personal life:Hartley was born in Weston, Connecticut, the daughter of Mary Ickes “Polly” , a manager and saleswoman, and Paul Hembree Hartley, an account executive. Her maternal grandfather was psychologist John B...
and Rolland Smith
Rolland Smith
Rolland G. Smith is a former American television news reporter and anchor who is best known for his time in New York, where he was based for most of his long career. He served as an anchor for WNEW-TV WCBS and WWOR-TV in New York.-Broadcasting career:...
, former longtime anchor at WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV, channel 2, is the flagship station of the CBS television network, located in New York City. The station's studios are located within the CBS Broadcast Center and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building, both in Midtown Manhattan....
in New York City. Radio personality Mark McEwen
Mark McEwen
Mark McEwen is an American TV and radio personality.McEwen grew up in Berlin, Germany, Montgomery, Alabama, and Crownsville, Maryland. He began his broadcasting career on radio as a disk jockey in New York City, working at WAPP during 1983 Mark McEwen (born September 16, 1954 in San Antonio,...
handled the weather, while Bob Saget
Bob Saget
Robert Lane "Bob" Saget is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and television host. Although he is best known for his roles as Danny Tanner in Full House, host of America's Funniest Home Videos and Future Ted Mosby on How I Met Your Mother, Saget is also known outside of television for his blue...
did comedy bits. The show ran for 90 minutes behind a briefly expanded 90-minute CBS Early Morning News, which had dropped "Early" from its title. However, The Morning Program, with its awkward mix of news, entertainment, and comedy, became the joke of the industry, receiving its worst reviews and at one point plummeting to its lowest ratings in five years. The format was aborted and the time slot returned to the news division after a ten-and-a-half-month run. Hartley and Smith were dumped, while Saget left to star on the ABC sitcom, Full House
Full House
Full House is an American sitcom television series. Set in San Francisco, the show chronicles widowed father Danny Tanner, who, after the death of his wife, enlists his best friend Joey Gladstone and his brother-in-law Jesse Katsopolis to help raise his three daughters, D.J., Stephanie, and...
. A longtime producer summed up this version of the program upon its demise by saying, "...everyone thought we had the lowest ratings you could have in the morning. The Morning Program proved us wrong".
CBS This Morning
CBS This Morning made its debut on November 30, 1987, with hosts Harry SmithHarry Smith (television)
Harry Smith is an American television journalist. He hosted the CBS News morning programs, The Early Show and its predecessor, CBS This Morning, for 17 years...
, former GMA news anchor Kathleen Sullivan
Kathleen Sullivan (journalist)
Kathleen Sullivan is an American television journalist.She was one of a small group of anchors and reporters which launched CNN, a cable news channel, which led to the 24-hour news cycle of the U.S. cable news broadcast within the field of journalism. Her career has been involved in nearly every...
, and Morning Program holdover Mark McEwen. Sullivan would be replaced by Paula Zahn on February 26, 1990. Beginning October 26, 1992, in an effort to stop affiliates from dropping the program, CBS allowed more participation from local stations (Most affiliates have their own early morning newscast, which precedes the national news). Despite a far more successful team in Smith, Zahn and McEwen, CBS This Morning remained stubbornly in third place. It was, however, far more competitive than any of its predecessors. A brand-new set and live format introduced in October 1995
1995 in television
The year 1995 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 1995.For the American TV schedule, see: 1995-96 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1950s:...
had little effect on the ratings.
CBS News correspondents Harold Dow
Harold Dow
Harold Dow was an American television news correspondent, journalist, and investigative reporter with CBS News.-Personal life:...
, Erin Moriarty
Erin Moriarty
Erin 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...
, Edie Magnus, and Russ Mitchell
Russ Mitchell
Russell Mitchell is an American journalist for CBS, anchor of the Early Show on Saturday, and weekend anchor of the CBS Evening News.-Early years:...
anchored the show for seven weeks (June through August 1996) after Smith and Zahn left until the new format was in place; alternating every week or so. In August 1996, the show was revamped again, as simply This Morning, with McEwen (replacing Smith) and Jane Robelot
Jane Robelot
Jane Robelot was a co-anchor of CBS television's CBS This Morning during the early 1990s. In the 1980s she worked at WSPA-TV in Spartanburg, South Carolina, then at then-CBS-owned WCAU TV Philadelphia before moving to CBS. After working for CBS News she was the primary anchor for WGCL-TV in Atlanta...
(who replaced Zahn) as co-hosts, news anchor Jose Diaz-Balart
Jose Diaz-Balart
José Díaz-Balart is a Cuban-American journalist and television anchorman. He is currently the anchor for Noticiero Telemundo, the network's news program as well as the network's Washington DC-based public affairs Sunday morning program Enfoque...
(succeeded by Cynthia Bowers and later Thalia Assuras
Thalia Assuras
- External links :* , an October 1998 article from a UWO website...
, and finally Julie Chen
Julie Chen
Julie Suzanne Chen is an American television personality, news anchor, and producer for CBS. She has 16 years of newscasting experience. She is best known for co-anchoring CBS's The Early Show, alongside Harry Smith and Maggie Rodriguez. She has been the host of the U.S. version of Big Brother...
) and Craig Allen (of WCBS radio
WCBS (AM)
WCBS , often referred to as "WCBS Newsradio 880" , is a radio station in New York City. Owned by CBS Radio, the station broadcasts on a clear channel and is the flagship station of the CBS Radio Network...
and then also of WCBS-TV in New York City) doing weather. A new system was created where many of the local stations aired their own newscast from 7 am to 8 am, with inserts from the national broadcast. Then from 8 am to 9 am, affiliates air the second-half of the national broadcast uninterrupted. Ratings went up slightly, and at one point the show even moved ahead of Good Morning America in 1998. But it was also a brief ratings success, and This Morning became the immediate predecessor to The Early Show.
In June 1999, Jane Robelot left the show after the show was being replaced by The Early Show. She held the job as anchor at CBS affiliate WGCL-TV
WGCL-TV
WGCL-TV, virtual channel 46.1 is the CBS-affiliated television station serving the Atlanta, Georgia area. Its city of license is Atlanta, and the station is owned by Meredith Corporation, making it the largest-market CBS station not owned by the network...
in Atlanta for three years after leaving the show. Thalia Assuras would be co-anchor for the following five months that remained for This Morning. Julie Chen would become the newsreader for the remaining five months. Mark McEwen left the show at the end of September 1999 to prepare for the launch of The Early Show and was replaced by Russ Mitchell
Russ Mitchell
Russell Mitchell is an American journalist for CBS, anchor of the Early Show on Saturday, and weekend anchor of the CBS Evening News.-Early years:...
for the remaining month of This Morning. October 29, 1999 was the final show for This Morning, bringing to the end twelve years of CBS This Morning.
Gumbel, Clayson, McEwen and Chen (1999-2002)
The Early Show began on November 1, 1999 (around the time Viacom purchased CBS) when CBS executives successfully lured former Today Show host Bryant GumbelBryant Gumbel
Bryant Charles Gumbel is an American television journalist and sportscaster. He is best known for his 15 years as co-host of NBC's The Today Show. He is the younger brother of sportscaster Greg Gumbel.-Early life:...
to head up the broadcast, teamed with newcomer Jane Clayson
Jane Clayson
- Early life and career :Clayson was born April 25, 1967, and spent most of her childhood in Sacramento, California. She played with the Sacramento Youth Symphony and is an accomplished violinist....
. The show was completely revamped, and affiliates were asked to carry the two-hour broadcast in its entirety as the original This Morning format was abandoned. Mark McEwen
Mark McEwen
Mark McEwen is an American TV and radio personality.McEwen grew up in Berlin, Germany, Montgomery, Alabama, and Crownsville, Maryland. He began his broadcasting career on radio as a disk jockey in New York City, working at WAPP during 1983 Mark McEwen (born September 16, 1954 in San Antonio,...
once again did the weather, and Julie Chen
Julie Chen
Julie Suzanne Chen is an American television personality, news anchor, and producer for CBS. She has 16 years of newscasting experience. She is best known for co-anchoring CBS's The Early Show, alongside Harry Smith and Maggie Rodriguez. She has been the host of the U.S. version of Big Brother...
read the news. Ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
were not encouraging, and were actually lower than the show it had replaced, CBS This Morning. Gumbel left in 2002
2002 in television
The year 2002 in television involved some significant events.Below is a list of television-related events in 2002.For the American TV schedule, see: 2002–03 United States network television schedule.-Events:-Debuts:-1940s:...
, and shortly thereafter Clayson and McEwen were replaced. Clayson may be best known for her awkward confrontation with Early Show food and style contributor Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart is an American business magnate, author, magazine publisher, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising...
during this period, described below.
Smith, Storm, Chen, Syler, and Price (October 2002-December 2006)
The new team consisted of Chen, former BiographyBiography (TV series)
Biography is a documentary television series. It was originally a half-hour filmed series produced for CBS by David Wolper from 1961 to 1964 and hosted by Mike Wallace. The A&E Network later re-ran it and has produced new episodes since 1987...
and CBS This Morning host Harry Smith
Harry Smith (television)
Harry Smith is an American television journalist. He hosted the CBS News morning programs, The Early Show and its predecessor, CBS This Morning, for 17 years...
, former NBC Sports
NBC Sports
NBC Sports is the sports division of the NBC television network. Formerly "a service of NBC News," it broadcasts a diverse array of programs, including the Olympic Games, the NFL, the NHL, MLS, Notre Dame football, the PGA Tour, the Triple Crown, and the French Open, among others...
commentator Hannah Storm
Hannah Storm
Hannah Storm is an American television sports journalist, serving as co-anchor of ESPN's SportsCenter Monday–Thursday mornings, and is also host of the NBA Countdown pregame show on ABC as part of the network's NBA Sunday game coverage.-Early life and career:Storm was born in Oak Park, Illinois,...
, Rene Syler
Rene Syler
René Syler cohosted CBS News' The Early Show from October 2002, when it debuted in its four-anchor format, until she left the program in December 2006...
(a news anchor from KTVT
KTVT
KTVT, virtual channel 11, is a CBS owned-and-operated television station licensed to Fort Worth, Texas, and serving the Dallas-Fort Worth designated market area. The station is co-owned with independent station KTXA , and the two stations share facilities in Dallas and Fort Worth...
, the CBS station in Dallas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
), and weatherman
Weather forecasting
Weather forecasting is the application of science and technology to predict the state of the atmosphere for a given location. Human beings have attempted to predict the weather informally for millennia, and formally since the nineteenth century...
Dave Price
Dave Price
For the American publisher with the same name see Dave Price .Dave Price was a reporter and weatherman for CBS's The Early Show until he and Maggie Rodriguez were let go in an effort to boost last place ratings.Before his broadcasting career, Price spent eight years as a corporate human resources...
, who was pried away from New York Fox affiliate WNYW
WNYW
WNYW, virtual channel 5 , is the flagship television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in New York City. The station's transmitter is atop the Empire State Building and its studio facilities are located in the Yorkville section of Manhattan...
and also was at WCBS-TV for some time after joining The Early Show. To keep affiliates happy, CBS went back to the local/national hybrid format. The show also had a number of "correspondents" who do short segments on specific issues; Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart
Martha Stewart is an American business magnate, author, magazine publisher, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising...
, Martha Quinn
Martha Quinn
Martha Quinn is best known as one of the original video jockeys on MTV .-Early life:...
, Bobby Flay
Bobby Flay
Robert William "Bobby" Flay is an American celebrity chef, restaurateur and reality television personality. He is the owner and executive chef of 12 restaurants: Mesa Grill in Las Vegas, New York City, and the Bahamas ; Bar Americain in New York City and Uncasville, Connecticut; Bobby Flay Steak...
, and Bob Vila
Bob Vila
Robert Joseph "Bob" Vila is an American home improvement television show host known for This Old House , Bob Vila's Home Again , and Bob Vila .-Early life:...
, among others, have been featured in this role. Susan Koeppen (2004-–) is the consumer correspondent.
As previously mentioned, Stewart's participation garnered headlines on June 25, 2002, due to her obsessively chopping vegetables for a salad
Salad
Salad is any of a wide variety of dishes, including vegetable salads; salads of pasta, legumes, eggs, or grains; mixed salads incorporating meat, poultry, or seafood; and fruit salads. They may include a mixture of cold and hot, often including raw vegetables or fruits.Green salads include leaf...
while refusing to answer Clayson's questions regarding her stock fraud scandal
ImClone stock trading case
A U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and U.S. Attorney probe of trading in the shares of ImClone Systems resulted in a widely publicized criminal case, which resulted in prison terms for media celebrity Martha Stewart, ImClone chief executive officer Samuel D...
– Stewart stopped contributing to the program after the appearance, which was immortalized in an NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
TV-movie of Stewart's life a few months later.
On October 30, 2006, The Early Show received a revamp, featuring new graphics (with a new blue and orange color scheme instead of blue and yellow) and music similar to those used on the CBS Evening News
CBS Evening News
CBS Evening News is the flagship nightly television news program of the American television network CBS. The network has broadcast this program since 1948, and has used the CBS Evening News title since 1963....
(which were also used starting in early October on Up to the Minute
Up to the Minute
Up to the Minute is a CBS overnight broadcast which offers hard news, features, interviews, weather, sports, business and commentary. Up to the Minute draws from the full resources of CBS News, including the CBS Evening News, Newspath, affiliate stations, the CBS Radio Network and Reuters Television...
and the CBS Morning News
CBS Morning News
For CBS's main morning news program, formerly known as CBS Morning News, see The Early Show.CBS Morning News is the half-hour daily television broadcast from CBS News that airs following Up to the Minute and features late-breaking news stories, weather forecasts, and sports scores...
). On December 4, 2006, it was announced that Rene Syler
Rene Syler
René Syler cohosted CBS News' The Early Show from October 2002, when it debuted in its four-anchor format, until she left the program in December 2006...
would leave the show by the end of the month (her last show was December 22).
Smith, Storm, Chen, Mitchell and Price (December 2006-December 2007)
On December 7, 2007, CBS News named Russ MitchellRuss Mitchell
Russell Mitchell is an American journalist for CBS, anchor of the Early Show on Saturday, and weekend anchor of the CBS Evening News.-Early years:...
the news anchor. On November 28, 2007, it was announced that Hannah Storm
Hannah Storm
Hannah Storm is an American television sports journalist, serving as co-anchor of ESPN's SportsCenter Monday–Thursday mornings, and is also host of the NBA Countdown pregame show on ABC as part of the network's NBA Sunday game coverage.-Early life and career:Storm was born in Oak Park, Illinois,...
was leaving her co-anchor chair; her last day was December 7, 2007.
Smith, Rodriguez, Chen, Mitchell, and Price (January 2008-January 2010)
On December 5, 2007, CBS announced that Maggie RodriguezMaggie Rodriguez
Margarita Dania Rodriguez is a former co-anchor of the CBS television program, The Early Show, from December 2007 through December 2010. Rodriguez was also a substitute anchor for Katie Couric on The CBS Evening News. Rodriguez was formerly co-anchor of the Saturday edition of The Early Show in 2007...
would succeed Storm as co-anchor. On January 7, 2008, The Early Show debuted a new set. During the month of December, The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric shared its studio/set with The Early Show. In addition, the show abandoned the aforementioned local/national hybrid format and replaced it with a national format, similar to its network competitors. The ratings for the series dropped with the institution of these changes. However, the gap between The Early Show and second-place GMA has remained virtually consistent as all three morning shows have seen similar ratings erosion.
On April 16, The Early Show scored a coup with the broadcast of British pop music sensation Susan Boyle
Susan Boyle
Susan Magdalane Boyle is a Scottish singer who came to international public attention when she appeared as a contestant on the TV programme Britain's Got Talent on 11 April 2009, singing "I Dreamed a Dream" from ...
singing live for an American TV audience. Not surprisingly, The Early Show enjoyed a relatively successful May sweeps, racking up a 5 percent increase in year-to-year total viewers and remaining flat in the 25-to-54-year-old demographic, at a time when both NBC's Today Show and ABC's Good Morning America were shedding viewers to the tune of 3 and 4 percent respectively.
Howard Kurtz's WaPo profile of CBS Early Show co-host Maggie Rodriguez
Maggie Rodriguez
Margarita Dania Rodriguez is a former co-anchor of the CBS television program, The Early Show, from December 2007 through December 2010. Rodriguez was also a substitute anchor for Katie Couric on The CBS Evening News. Rodriguez was formerly co-anchor of the Saturday edition of The Early Show in 2007...
says her addition to the program accounts for "an uptick in the ratings, lifting spirits at the broadcast." In recent months, Rodriguez has landed some high-profile interviews with the Caylee Anthony grandparents, Levi Johnston, and disgraced former Miami priest, Alberto Cutié. The scandal beat might not be her favorite, but Rodriguez understands that it's often what her audience gets excited about: "If I were to program a show for my viewing pleasure, I would make it all news", said Rodriguez. "But we're programming for all of America. We have to include Jon and Kate [Gosselin] — regardless of whether I personally care, they're on the cover of every magazine. You can't be so highbrow that you only cover hard news. I'm not a journalistic snob."
In addition to her morning show duties, the Miami transplant had also regularly been filling in as an anchor for CBS Evening News with Katie Couric.
On January 13, 2010, CBS announced that news anchor Russ Mitchell
Russ Mitchell
Russell Mitchell is an American journalist for CBS, anchor of the Early Show on Saturday, and weekend anchor of the CBS Evening News.-Early years:...
would exit The Early Show at the end of the week, leaving a gap in the lineup for the perennially third-place CBS morning show. He became the national correspondent for CBS and would continue to be the anchor of the Sunday edition of the CBS Evening News.
Smith, Rodriguez, Chen, Hill and Price (January 2010-December 2010)
During this period, Harry SmithHarry Smith (television)
Harry Smith is an American television journalist. He hosted the CBS News morning programs, The Early Show and its predecessor, CBS This Morning, for 17 years...
and Maggie Rodriguez
Maggie Rodriguez
Margarita Dania Rodriguez is a former co-anchor of the CBS television program, The Early Show, from December 2007 through December 2010. Rodriguez was also a substitute anchor for Katie Couric on The CBS Evening News. Rodriguez was formerly co-anchor of the Saturday edition of The Early Show in 2007...
anchored with weather forecasts presented by Dave Price
Dave Price
For the American publisher with the same name see Dave Price .Dave Price was a reporter and weatherman for CBS's The Early Show until he and Maggie Rodriguez were let go in an effort to boost last place ratings.Before his broadcasting career, Price spent eight years as a corporate human resources...
, additional features by Julie Chen
Julie Chen
Julie Suzanne Chen is an American television personality, news anchor, and producer for CBS. She has 16 years of newscasting experience. She is best known for co-anchoring CBS's The Early Show, alongside Harry Smith and Maggie Rodriguez. She has been the host of the U.S. version of Big Brother...
and news updates by Erica Hill
Erica Hill
Erica Ruth Hill is an American journalist and co-anchor of The Early Show on CBS. Prior to her current position, she was the weekday news anchor and Saturday co-anchor of the show. Hill previously worked as an anchor and correspondent for CNN, Headline News and TechTV.- Personal life :Hill was...
.
The Early Show began broadcasting in high definition on April 26, 2010, becoming the last morning network news/talk program to do so. The Evening News control room was be used, as construction was under way for The Early Shows new control room at the General Motors Building. New graphics were now overlaid to accommodate added screen space, and were also used throughout other CBS News programs.
Wragge, Hill, Glor, and Castro (January 2011-September 2011)
Erica Hill and Chris Wragge (who previously anchored the Saturday edition) have anchored the weekday Early Show since January 3, 2011. Marysol CastroMarysol Castro
Marysol Castro is a television journalist and was weather anchor for the The Early Show on CBS in 2011. Prior to that, she was the weather and features correspondent for the weekend edition of Good Morning America on ABC from 2004 to 2010.-Early life and career:Born to Puerto Rican parents in New...
became the show's new weather anchor, replacing Dave Price. Julie Chen remained a part of the team, presenting additional features with Jeff Glor as news anchor, replacing Erica Hill. Chen was the only member to stay with the program since its inception before leaving the full time anchor position to host The Talk
The Talk
The Talk may refer to:*A discussion of sexuality given to children, also euphemistically referred to as "the birds and the bees".*An episode of Mortified called "The Talk", about a teen attempting to avoid the above discussion....
in late 2010. She remained with the early news program as a Special Contributing Anchor.
On March 2011, The Early Show debuted a redesigned set. The new set included a new anchor desk backdrop, a new reporter area, and a blue color scheme.
On September 2, 2011, it was announced that Marysol Castro would be leaving her post as weather anchor effective immediately.
Wragge, Hill and Glor (September 2011-January 2012)
Since Marysol Castro's departure, the hosts cut directly to local CBS affiliates for forecasts (with a voiceover national outlook for stations without newscasts), making CBS the only one of the three major broadcast morning shows without national forecasts. Castro will remain with CBS News for now in an undetermined role.Since 2011, the program has focused on hard news in contrast to the other breakfast television
Breakfast television
Breakfast television or morning show , is a type of infotainment television program, broadcast live in the morning...
shows that show a mix of hard news, lighter news, and infotainment
Infotainment
Infotainment is "information-based media content or programming that also includes entertainment content in an effort to enhance popularity with audiences and consumers." It is a neologistic portmanteau of information and entertainment, referring to a type of media which provides a combination of...
. Coverage consists of national and international news, including occasional town halls with political leaders and in-depth coverage of major events.
Rose, Hill and King (January 2012-)
On November 15, 2011, it was confirmed that The Early Show will be effectively canceled. Veteran TV personalities Charlie RoseCharlie Rose
Charles Peete "Charlie" Rose, Jr. is an American television talk show host and journalist. Since 1991 he has hosted Charlie Rose, an interview show distributed nationally by PBS since 1993...
and Gayle King
Gayle King
Gayle King is editor-at-large for O, The Oprah Magazine and the best friend of Oprah Winfrey. She has previously worked as a television news anchor and talk show host...
will be in the program alongside Erica Hill
Erica Hill
Erica Ruth Hill is an American journalist and co-anchor of The Early Show on CBS. Prior to her current position, she was the weekday news anchor and Saturday co-anchor of the show. Hill previously worked as an anchor and correspondent for CNN, Headline News and TechTV.- Personal life :Hill was...
. The new format will see Rose and Hill anchor the 7 a.m. (EST) hour with King coming in at 8 a.m. to spearhead the conversation aspect. The revamped program would feature more panel discussion, similar to the format of MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
morning show Morning Joe
Morning Joe
Morning Joe is a weekday morning talk show on MSNBC, with Joe Scarborough discussing the news of the day in a panel format with co-hosts Mika Brzezinski and Willie Geist. It was created as the replacement for Imus in the Morning, which was canceled in April 2007 after simulcasting on MSNBC since 1996...
. Wragge will leave the program and focus primarily on his duties as 6 p.m. weeknight news anchor of CBS flagship station WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV, channel 2, is the flagship station of the CBS television network, located in New York City. The station's studios are located within the CBS Broadcast Center and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building, both in Midtown Manhattan....
. "The Early Show" will technically be canceled. CBS stated that their morning show will be a new show with a different name and format. On December 1, the new name for the program was announced as CBS This Morning.
CBS will continue the hard news
Hard News
Hard News: The Scandals at The New York Times and Their Meaning for American Media is a 2004 book by journalist Seth Mnookin about the reign of Howell Raines at The New York Times.Mr...
focus as it rebrands the program to add more original journalism, less anchor banter, and eliminate the weather segments.
Anchors
- Charlie RoseCharlie RoseCharles Peete "Charlie" Rose, Jr. is an American television talk show host and journalist. Since 1991 he has hosted Charlie Rose, an interview show distributed nationally by PBS since 1993...
, anchor (2012–present) - Erica HillErica HillErica Ruth Hill is an American journalist and co-anchor of The Early Show on CBS. Prior to her current position, she was the weekday news anchor and Saturday co-anchor of the show. Hill previously worked as an anchor and correspondent for CNN, Headline News and TechTV.- Personal life :Hill was...
, anchor (2012–present) - Gayle KingGayle KingGayle King is editor-at-large for O, The Oprah Magazine and the best friend of Oprah Winfrey. She has previously worked as a television news anchor and talk show host...
, anchor (2012–present)
Anchors
- Bryant GumbelBryant GumbelBryant Charles Gumbel is an American television journalist and sportscaster. He is best known for his 15 years as co-host of NBC's The Today Show. He is the younger brother of sportscaster Greg Gumbel.-Early life:...
, anchor (1999–2002) - Jane ClaysonJane Clayson- Early life and career :Clayson was born April 25, 1967, and spent most of her childhood in Sacramento, California. She played with the Sacramento Youth Symphony and is an accomplished violinist....
, anchor (1999–2002) - Julie ChenJulie ChenJulie Suzanne Chen is an American television personality, news anchor, and producer for CBS. She has 16 years of newscasting experience. She is best known for co-anchoring CBS's The Early Show, alongside Harry Smith and Maggie Rodriguez. She has been the host of the U.S. version of Big Brother...
, anchor (2002–2010), special contributing anchor (2010-2012) - Harry SmithHarry Smith (television)Harry Smith is an American television journalist. He hosted the CBS News morning programs, The Early Show and its predecessor, CBS This Morning, for 17 years...
, anchor (2002–2010) - Hannah StormHannah StormHannah Storm is an American television sports journalist, serving as co-anchor of ESPN's SportsCenter Monday–Thursday mornings, and is also host of the NBA Countdown pregame show on ABC as part of the network's NBA Sunday game coverage.-Early life and career:Storm was born in Oak Park, Illinois,...
, anchor (2002–2007) - Rene SylerRene SylerRené Syler cohosted CBS News' The Early Show from October 2002, when it debuted in its four-anchor format, until she left the program in December 2006...
, anchor (2002–2006) - Maggie RodriguezMaggie RodriguezMargarita Dania Rodriguez is a former co-anchor of the CBS television program, The Early Show, from December 2007 through December 2010. Rodriguez was also a substitute anchor for Katie Couric on The CBS Evening News. Rodriguez was formerly co-anchor of the Saturday edition of The Early Show in 2007...
, anchor (2008–2010) - Chris WraggeChris WraggeChristian P. "Chris" Wragge is an American news anchor. He is the co-anchor for New York's WCBS-TV News at 6 p.m. weeknights alongside Dana Tyler. He was previously in the station's 5 p.m. and 11 p.m...
, anchor (2011–2012)
News anchors
- Julie ChenJulie ChenJulie Suzanne Chen is an American television personality, news anchor, and producer for CBS. She has 16 years of newscasting experience. She is best known for co-anchoring CBS's The Early Show, alongside Harry Smith and Maggie Rodriguez. She has been the host of the U.S. version of Big Brother...
, news anchor (1999–2007) - Russ MitchellRuss MitchellRussell Mitchell is an American journalist for CBS, anchor of the Early Show on Saturday, and weekend anchor of the CBS Evening News.-Early years:...
, news anchor (2007–2010) - Erica HillErica HillErica Ruth Hill is an American journalist and co-anchor of The Early Show on CBS. Prior to her current position, she was the weekday news anchor and Saturday co-anchor of the show. Hill previously worked as an anchor and correspondent for CNN, Headline News and TechTV.- Personal life :Hill was...
, news anchor (2010–2011)
Weather anchors
- Mark McEwenMark McEwenMark McEwen is an American TV and radio personality.McEwen grew up in Berlin, Germany, Montgomery, Alabama, and Crownsville, Maryland. He began his broadcasting career on radio as a disk jockey in New York City, working at WAPP during 1983 Mark McEwen (born September 16, 1954 in San Antonio,...
, weather anchor (1999–2002) - Dave PriceDave PriceFor the American publisher with the same name see Dave Price .Dave Price was a reporter and weatherman for CBS's The Early Show until he and Maggie Rodriguez were let go in an effort to boost last place ratings.Before his broadcasting career, Price spent eight years as a corporate human resources...
, weather anchor (2002–2010) - Marysol CastroMarysol CastroMarysol Castro is a television journalist and was weather anchor for the The Early Show on CBS in 2011. Prior to that, she was the weather and features correspondent for the weekend edition of Good Morning America on ABC from 2004 to 2010.-Early life and career:Born to Puerto Rican parents in New...
, weather anchor (2011)
Saturday edition
The Saturday edition of The Early Show premiered on September 13, 1997 as CBS News Saturday Morning. As of 2008, The Saturday Early Show no longer carries a separate name from the weekday edition, and is introduced simply as The Early Show. The program is broadcast live beginning at 8:00 a.m. ET on Saturday mornings from the GM Building on Fifth Avenue in New York City, across the street from Central ParkCentral Park
Central Park is a public park in the center of Manhattan in New York City, United States. The park initially opened in 1857, on of city-owned land. In 1858, Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux won a design competition to improve and expand the park with a plan they entitled the Greensward Plan...
. It airs at various times through the country on most CBS stations. However, depending on the time zone it may or may not air (some CBS affiliates skip the Saturday morning edition for local newscasts, and some push up the timeslot of the Saturday morning children's program block after the newscast if it ends before 9:00 a.m. in order to make up for it).
The format allows for news and weather cut-ins; not all affiliates provide local coverage. Viewers at stations that do not provide coverage see informal conversation among the anchors during the news cut-ins and a series of graphics showing the weather in various cities during the weather cut-ins. Ira Joe Fisher and, initially, Lonnie Quinn, would read some of the forecast aloud while chatting with people in the audience outside the building. The graphics now run with bed music and no voice-over.
Until the weekday shake-up at the end of 2010, it was anchored by Chris Wragge
Chris Wragge
Christian P. "Chris" Wragge is an American news anchor. He is the co-anchor for New York's WCBS-TV News at 6 p.m. weeknights alongside Dana Tyler. He was previously in the station's 5 p.m. and 11 p.m...
of WCBS
WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV, channel 2, is the flagship station of the CBS television network, located in New York City. The station's studios are located within the CBS Broadcast Center and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building, both in Midtown Manhattan....
and Erica Hill
Erica Hill
Erica Ruth Hill is an American journalist and co-anchor of The Early Show on CBS. Prior to her current position, she was the weekday news anchor and Saturday co-anchor of the show. Hill previously worked as an anchor and correspondent for CNN, Headline News and TechTV.- Personal life :Hill was...
. Beginning January 8, 2011 Russ Mitchell
Russ Mitchell
Russell Mitchell is an American journalist for CBS, anchor of the Early Show on Saturday, and weekend anchor of the CBS Evening News.-Early years:...
returned to co-anchor with Rebecca Jarvis
Rebecca Jarvis
Rebecca Jarvis is a financial journalist and was a finalist on Season 4 of The Apprentice. Jarvis graduated from the University of Chicago in 2003 and from St. Paul Academy and Summit School in 1999....
while WCBS
WCBS-TV
WCBS-TV, channel 2, is the flagship station of the CBS television network, located in New York City. The station's studios are located within the CBS Broadcast Center and its transmitter is atop the Empire State Building, both in Midtown Manhattan....
' chief weathercaster Lonnie Quinn
Lonnie Quinn
Lonnie William Quinn was born on August 9, 1963, in Cheshire, Connecticut and is the chief weathercaster on WCBS-TV in New York City. Quinn also serves as weather anchor for weekday edition of The Early Show and weather anchor for The Saturday Early Show.-Career:Ten-time Emmy Award recipient,...
will continue as weather anchor and CBS Morning News anchor Betty Nguyen
Betty Nguyen
Betty Nguyen is an American news anchor with CBS News. Nguyen joined CBS News on March 11, 2010. She anchors the The CBS Morning News and is a correspondent for The Early Show. -Life and career:...
serves as news anchor and coanchors one Saturday a month.
Anchors for the program have included Russ Mitchell
Russ Mitchell
Russell Mitchell is an American journalist for CBS, anchor of the Early Show on Saturday, and weekend anchor of the CBS Evening News.-Early years:...
(1997–2007, 2011–present), Susan Molinari
Susan Molinari
Susan Molinari is a politician, journalist, and lobbyist from New York. She was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for three terms.-Early life and family:...
(1997–1998), Dawn Stensland (1998–1999), Thalia Assuras
Thalia Assuras
- External links :* , an October 1998 article from a UWO website...
(1999–2002), Gretchen Carlson
Gretchen Carlson
Gretchen Elizabeth Carlson is an American television personality who currently co-hosts the Fox News morning show Fox & Friends along with Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade...
(2002–2005), Tracy Smith
Tracy Smith
Tracy 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...
(2005–2007), Maggie Rodriguez
Maggie Rodriguez
Margarita Dania Rodriguez is a former co-anchor of the CBS television program, The Early Show, from December 2007 through December 2010. Rodriguez was also a substitute anchor for Katie Couric on The CBS Evening News. Rodriguez was formerly co-anchor of the Saturday edition of The Early Show in 2007...
(2007–2008), Jeff Glor
Jeff Glor
Jeff Glor is an American broadcast journalist. He was named News Anchor of CBS News' The Early Show in November 2010.Prior to The Early Show, Glor served as anchor of the Saturday edition of the CBS Evening News and was a National Correspondent for all CBS News broadcasts...
(2007), Chris Wragge
Chris Wragge
Christian P. "Chris" Wragge is an American news anchor. He is the co-anchor for New York's WCBS-TV News at 6 p.m. weeknights alongside Dana Tyler. He was previously in the station's 5 p.m. and 11 p.m...
, (2007–2010) Erica Hill
Erica Hill
Erica Ruth Hill is an American journalist and co-anchor of The Early Show on CBS. Prior to her current position, she was the weekday news anchor and Saturday co-anchor of the show. Hill previously worked as an anchor and correspondent for CNN, Headline News and TechTV.- Personal life :Hill was...
(2008–2010) and weather anchor Ira Joe Fisher
Ira Joe Fisher
Ira Joe Fisher is an American meteorologist and poet. He was the weather reporter for CBS's The Saturday Early Show, a position he held from 1999 until 2006...
(1999–2006)
Unlike its competitors The Today Show
The Today Show
Today is an iconic American morning news and talk show airing every morning on NBC. Debuting on January 14, 1952, it was the first of its genre on American television and in the world. The show is also the fourth-longest running American television series...
and Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
, The Early Show does not carry a Sunday edition, nor are there any plans for one in the near future, due to the continued success of CBS News Sunday Morning
CBS News Sunday Morning
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...
, which has a distinctly different format with long form journalism reports and in-depth interview segments.
Anchors
- Rebecca JarvisRebecca JarvisRebecca Jarvis is a financial journalist and was a finalist on Season 4 of The Apprentice. Jarvis graduated from the University of Chicago in 2003 and from St. Paul Academy and Summit School in 1999....
, weekend anchor (2011–present) - Russ MitchellRuss MitchellRussell Mitchell is an American journalist for CBS, anchor of the Early Show on Saturday, and weekend anchor of the CBS Evening News.-Early years:...
, weekend anchor (2011–present) - Betty NguyenBetty NguyenBetty Nguyen is an American news anchor with CBS News. Nguyen joined CBS News on March 11, 2010. She anchors the The CBS Morning News and is a correspondent for The Early Show. -Life and career:...
, weekend news anchor (2011–present) - Lonnie QuinnLonnie QuinnLonnie William Quinn was born on August 9, 1963, in Cheshire, Connecticut and is the chief weathercaster on WCBS-TV in New York City. Quinn also serves as weather anchor for weekday edition of The Early Show and weather anchor for The Saturday Early Show.-Career:Ten-time Emmy Award recipient,...
weekend weather anchor (2006–present)
Anchors
- Russ MitchellRuss MitchellRussell Mitchell is an American journalist for CBS, anchor of the Early Show on Saturday, and weekend anchor of the CBS Evening News.-Early years:...
, weekend anchor (1997-2007) - Susan MolinariSusan MolinariSusan Molinari is a politician, journalist, and lobbyist from New York. She was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for three terms.-Early life and family:...
, weekend anchor (1997–1998) - Dawn Stensland, weekend anchor (1998–1999)
- Thalia AssurasThalia Assuras- External links :* , an October 1998 article from a UWO website...
, weekend anchor (1999–2002) - Gretchen CarlsonGretchen CarlsonGretchen Elizabeth Carlson is an American television personality who currently co-hosts the Fox News morning show Fox & Friends along with Steve Doocy and Brian Kilmeade...
, weekend anchor (2002–2005) - 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...
, weekend anchor (2005–2007) - Maggie RodriguezMaggie RodriguezMargarita Dania Rodriguez is a former co-anchor of the CBS television program, The Early Show, from December 2007 through December 2010. Rodriguez was also a substitute anchor for Katie Couric on The CBS Evening News. Rodriguez was formerly co-anchor of the Saturday edition of The Early Show in 2007...
, weekend anchor (2007–2008) - Jeff Glor, weekend anchor (2007)
- Chris WraggeChris WraggeChristian P. "Chris" Wragge is an American news anchor. He is the co-anchor for New York's WCBS-TV News at 6 p.m. weeknights alongside Dana Tyler. He was previously in the station's 5 p.m. and 11 p.m...
, weekend anchor (2007–2010) - Erica HillErica HillErica Ruth Hill is an American journalist and co-anchor of The Early Show on CBS. Prior to her current position, she was the weekday news anchor and Saturday co-anchor of the show. Hill previously worked as an anchor and correspondent for CNN, Headline News and TechTV.- Personal life :Hill was...
, weekend anchor (2008–2010)
Ratings
CBS has been the perennial third-place finisher in the morning race since 1976, placing second only a few times in the past 30 years. CBS beat Good Morning AmericaGood Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
for second place the weeks of January 17, 1977 and December 28, 1998. The Today Show was in first place both times. However, CBS outrated The Today Show for second spot over a few weeks in 1984 when Jane Pauley
Jane Pauley
Margaret Jane Pauley is an American television journalist, and has been involved in news reporting since 1975...
was on maternity leave. At that time, Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
was ranked #1.
In 2007, CBS sought to change the 3rd place position of The Early Show in September 2007 by hiring Shelly Ross, former executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
of GMA from 1999–2004. Significant changes were made to the program as Ross asserted her influence. For instance, the network no longer allows the frequent local station breaks that were previously allowed during the former broadcast as of January 7, 2008. CBS reportedly views the removal of those breaks as vital to creating a national profile for the program.
However, some CBS affiliates continue to air the full program on another co-owned sister station and continue to air their local morning news; WWL-TV
WWL-TV
WWL-TV, virtual channel 4, is the CBS-affiliated television station serving New Orleans, Louisiana, southeast Louisiana and parts of southern and coastal Mississippi, and is the primary CBS station for South and Coastal Mississippi. It broadcasts on UHF digital channel 36...
in New Orleans has never aired the Early Show or any of its previous versions, broadcasting all local newscasts instead, currently from 5am-9am. The Early Show now airs in New Orleans on MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV
MyNetworkTV is a television broadcast syndication service in the United States, owned by the Fox Entertainment Group, a division of News Corporation...
sister station WUPL
WUPL
WUPL, virtual channel 54, is the MyNetworkTV-affiliated television station for the Greater New Orleans, Louisiana area. It is licensed to the Northshore community of Slidell. It is currently owned by the Belo Corporation, in a duopoly with CBS affiliate WWL-TV. It broadcasts on UHF digital channel...
, paired with The Daily Buzz
The Daily Buzz
The Daily Buzz is a nationally syndicated breakfast television news and infotainment program. The show is produced by Fisher Communications and is owned and distributed by ACME Communications; it is broadcast every weekday morning from studios at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida...
. Cincinnati's WKRC-TV
WKRC-TV
WKRC-TV is the CBS-affiliated television station for the Tri-State area of Southern Ohio, Northern Kentucky, and Southeastern Indiana that is licensed to Cincinnati. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 12 from a transmitter at its studios on Highland Avenue in the Mount...
airs the full show on the CBS station with an hour of all-local news on their CW
The CW Television Network
The CW Television Network is a television network in the United States launched at the beginning of the 2006–2007 television season. It is a joint venture between CBS Corporation, the former owners of United Paramount Network , and Time Warner's Warner Bros., former majority owner of The WB...
subchannel. Salt Lake City's KUTV (which was formerly owned by the network until 2007) continues to preempt the program's first hour despite the network's insistence.
Tulsa's KOTV airs the full two hours starting at 8:00 AM and moves it's last hour of their morning show to it's CW sister station
KQCW
KQCW-DT, virtual channel 19 , is The CW-affiliated television station in the Tulsa, Oklahoma DMA, licensed to Muskogee. The station is owned by Oklahoma City-based Griffin Communications, in a duopoly with CBS affiliate KOTV-DT...
.
Industry insiders considered Shelley Ross' influence to be a serious threat and bring the profile of the show up to make the program a true competitor to NBC's Today and ABC's Good Morning America. After six months, Ross was fired from the position, after frequent feuds with staff, particularly Smith and Chen, who reportedly informed management that either Ross would have to go or they would.
Despite the change in staff in 2011, the program remains mired in third place, averaging around 2-2.5 million average viewer figures per week. The program has also faced pressure from management to take advantage of CBS News redefining itself more as a hard news organization after the end of the Katie Couric era, asking the program's staff to take advantage of stories presented on 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
and the CBS Evening News and expand on those stories in the morning timeslot rather than following the lead as defined by Today and GMA to the letter.
Theme music
The debut theme for The Early Show was a typical opener for an American morning news program. When the show reformatted with new hosts and set they used an instrumental version of Sting's 19991999 in music
-Events:*January 7**After eight years of marriage, Rod Stewart and supermodel wife Rachel Hunter announce their separation.**Paul McCartney attends the first of his stepdaughter Heather's first housewares collection in Georgia....
hit, "Brand New Day" until late October 2006, when it was replaced by the CBS Evening News
CBS Evening News
CBS Evening News is the flagship nightly television news program of the American television network CBS. The network has broadcast this program since 1948, and has used the CBS Evening News title since 1963....
theme from James Horner
James Horner
James Roy Horner is an American composer, orchestrator and conductor of orchestral and film music. He is noted for the integration of choral and electronic elements in many of his film scores, and for frequent use of Celtic musical elements...
. On January 7, 2008, CBS made an attempt to relaunch the show with new hosts and set plus an updated theme music that of the James Horner
James Horner
James Roy Horner is an American composer, orchestrator and conductor of orchestral and film music. He is noted for the integration of choral and electronic elements in many of his film scores, and for frequent use of Celtic musical elements...
's composition. The theme was modified for a number of times since the reformat took launch. On June 27, 2011, CBS began using a slower-tempoed version of the CBS Evening News with Scott Pelley theme for The Early Show. This theme was formerly used on the CBS Evening News with Dan Rather between 1987 and 1991.
International broadcasts
In Australia, The Early Show airs on Network TenNetwork Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
weekday mornings from 4.00am under the title "The CBS Early Show", with Fridays edition being held over to the following Monday. A national weather map of Australia is inserted during local affiliate cut-aways for weather. No local news is inserted, however. America's top 3 breakfast television programs air in Australia almost simultaneously, with NBC Today airing on the Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...
at 4.00am and Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
on the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
airing from 3.30 am. Unlike the above, The Early Show is not condensed or edited. It is, however, pre-empted in most regional areas for paid and religious programming.
Awards
In 2010, The Early Show was nominated for a GLAAD Media AwardGLAAD Media Awards
The GLAAD Media Award is an accolade bestowed by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation to recognize and honor various branches of the media for their outstanding representations of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community and the issues that affect their lives...
for "Outstanding TV Journalism Segment" for the segment "Reverend's Revelation: Minister Speaks Out About Being Transgender" during the 21st GLAAD Media Awards
21st GLAAD Media Awards
The 21st GLAAD Media Awards was the 2010 annual presentation of the media awards presented by the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. The awards seek to honor films, television shows, musicians and works of journalism that fairly and accurately represent the LGBT community and issues...
.
See also
- CBS NewsCBS NewsCBS News is the news division of American television and radio network CBS. The current chairman is Jeff Fager who is also the executive producer of 60 Minutes, while the current president of CBS News is David Rhodes. CBS News' flagship program is the CBS Evening News, hosted by the network's main...
- CBS News Sunday MorningCBS News Sunday MorningCBS 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...
- Today
- Good Morning AmericaGood Morning AmericaGood Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
- The Daily BuzzThe Daily BuzzThe Daily Buzz is a nationally syndicated breakfast television news and infotainment program. The show is produced by Fisher Communications and is owned and distributed by ACME Communications; it is broadcast every weekday morning from studios at Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida...
- Breakfast televisionBreakfast televisionBreakfast television or morning show , is a type of infotainment television program, broadcast live in the morning...
External links
- The Early Show website
- The Saturday Early Show website (The CBS Morning News) (Morning) (The Morning Program) (CBS This Morning)