CBS Fires Entire 'Early Show' Anchor Crew

[Holly]

CBS Fires Entire 'Early Show' Anchor Crew

CBS has taken the unusual step of firing all four personalities on its "Early Show" program and replacing them with their weekend fill-ins.

CBS announced Tuesday that veteran anchors Harry Smith and Maggie Rodriguez will be leaving the program to be replaced by new hosts Erica Hill and Chris Wragge -- co-anchors of the Saturday edition of the morning program.

Weather anchor Dave Price will be replaced by Marysol Castro, 34, formerly of ABC's Good Morning America weekend edition

The new team led by Hill, 34, and Wragge, 40, take the helm January 3 in an effort to improve the show's ratings, which have been trailing the competition.

"'The Early Show' is an important element of CBS News," Sean McManus, president of CBS News and Sport said in a statement.

"This new team brings vibrancy, intelligence and warmth that I think America will grow to love," he added.

The three departing anchors will remain with CBS in some role.

Smith, 59, will serve as a substitute anchor on "CBS Evening News," "Face the Nation" and "Sunday Morning."

The network is discussing ongoing roles for Rodriguez, 40, and Price, 44.

I'm really sad about this. I love the Early Show anchors.

 

[agnes!]

I think the implied subtext in CBS' statement is hysterical...
"This new team brings vibrancy, intelligence and warmth that American will grow to love..." Does that mean the departing team brought lifelessness, stupidity and coldness that American grew to hate?

agnes!

 

[ols386]

I do really like Erica Hill and Chris Wragge. Not that I don't like the others, it's just that Erica and Chris would be my two favoites out of all of them.

 

[We_Love_Disney]

They must have been getting crushed in the ratings. In the last few months I found that I can't stand any of the morning shows. They are more or less gossip rags in disguise. They used to have informative news with a little bit of celebrity or the so-called human interest thrown in - now, you have to wait until the top and bottom of the hour to be informed about anything intelligent.

I am thinking that the morning shows time is coming to an end.

 

[krcit]

I love Dave Price

 

[WDWisTheBest]

They must have been getting crushed in the ratings. In the last few months I found that I can't stand any of the morning shows. They are more or less gossip rags in disguise. They used to have informative news with a little bit of celebrity or the so-called human interest thrown in - now, you have to wait until the top and bottom of the hour to be informed about anything intelligent.

I am thinking that the morning shows time is coming to an end.

I agree. CBS should also look at its nighttime news team. The ratings were very bad for the morning team.

 

[Geoff_M]

Re-arranging the deck chairs... not much more.

 

[Angelhalo]

I am very disgruntled about this. I love all of the people on The Early Show. I watched them because I don't like any of the people on any of the other morning shows. I particularly love Harry Smith and Dave Price. I guess now I won't watch any morning show.

 

[Planogirl]

I like Harry Smith but this show is my least favorite. I tend to channel surf between the different shows but end up watching the Today Show the most.

 

[bicker]

They must have been getting crushed in the ratings.

Yes, precisely right. CBS' simply hasn't been providing what viewers generally want to watch.

They don't have much choice about whether or not to run a morning news program of some sort: The second-order costs (mostly due to how it would rip their reputation to shreds) of giving those hours back to affiliates, or running reruns or somesuch in those hours would be huge.

I am surprised that CBS didn't just leave things be. The company's parent is closely-held and so generally being second or third in isolate situations doesn't typically motivate CBS to action as much as the other networks.

Maybe what we're seeing is a reflection of CBS projecting that NBC's Today and ABC's GMA are finally getting to the point where they're seriously vulnerable. So perhaps not a matter of how bad The Early Show was, but rather a matter of how weak the other two shows are getting.

 

[dzneelvr]

Harry Smith is retiring so it made sense to do it now. I don't hold out much hope for CBS though. I'd impossible to beat the morning NBC team IMO
Just look what happened to Katie when she left...............

 

[We_Love_Disney]

Maybe what we're seeing is a reflection of CBS projecting that NBC's Today and ABC's GMA are finally getting to the point where they're seriously vulnerable. So perhaps not a matter of how bad The Early Show was, but rather a matter of how weak the other two shows are getting.

Excellent point.

 

[cm8]

Yes, precisely right. CBS' simply hasn't been providing what viewers generally want to watch.

They don't have much choice about whether or not to run a morning news program of some sort: The second-order costs (mostly due to how it would rip their reputation to shreds) of giving those hours back to affiliates, or running reruns or somesuch in those hours would be huge.

I am surprised that CBS didn't just leave things be. The company's parent is closely-held and so generally being second or third in isolate situations doesn't typically motivate CBS to action as much as the other networks.

Maybe what we're seeing is a reflection of CBS projecting that NBC's Today and ABC's GMA are finally getting to the point where they're seriously vulnerable. So perhaps not a matter of how bad The Early Show was, but rather a matter of how weak the other two shows are getting.

Agreed! Seems like it was also "out with the OLD and in the with young"

 

[Robinrs]

Ugh, can't STAND Erica Hill. Wragge is okay but I loved Maggie. Sucks to be in third out of three, but this will NOT help.

 

[Robinrs]

Yes, precisely right. CBS' simply hasn't been providing what viewers generally want to watch.

Maybe what we're seeing is a reflection of CBS projecting that NBC's Today and ABC's GMA are finally getting to the point where they're seriously vulnerable. So perhaps not a matter of how bad The Early Show was, but rather a matter of how weak the other two shows are getting.

The Today Show has been on top for 15 years, GMA is next and they can't touch it. I don't see this changing anytime soon. CBS will have to have a naked weatherperson to beat them.

 

[HonnyDipp]

Julie Chen saw this coming. Again, it must be wonderful to get a job offer by her CEO hubby right before this news broke. WOW.

 

[MIGrandma]

I heard about this last Sunday, but didn't know WHY the regular anchors were being replaced at the beginning of the year. I don't mind Erica Hill, as she filled in for Maggie when she had her baby so I got used to her. I will miss Maggie though, really, really liked her. And she must already be gone as she hasn't been on in awhile now. I didn't know Harry was retiring, I'll miss him too. Love, love, love Dave Price and really disappointed they are letting him go. I loved the shows where they sent him far, far away and gave him $50 and he had to be back in NYC by the end of the week. Really interesting, and I love him doing the weather.

I might just go back to watching the Today Show after the first of the year.

 

[LuvCuteBoys]

I love Dave Price

Me, too He started his career in Erie when I lived in that area. Bummer.

 

[tvguy]

I've been involved in local morning news for over 30 years....the shows that run before the network morning shows.
The Early Show has always made 10's of millions of dollars a year for the network, far less than Today and GMA, but is has always been profitable.
It has never done well in the ratings.
Here's a piece of trivia, the last morning show CBS had that was number one was Captain Kangaroo.

 

[C.Ann]

Wow! Did the crew have any idea this was coming?