Monday marked the official debut of CBS’ new morning show, “CBS This Morning.”
CBS announced in November 2011 that the network would replace “The Early Show” with a new program hosted by Charlie Rose, Gayle King, and former “Early Show” anchor, Erica Hill.
The network has been promoting the new show for months, playing up the fact that the program would be a departure from rivals “Today” and “Good Morning America.”
The network boasted that “CBS This Morning” would include a hard news slant. Show creators also omitted somewhat peculiar morning show traditions, like crowds gathering outside the studio to cheer on a national weatherman, and hosts reporting news from an in-studio couch. The green room, which is behind glass walls in the corner of the studio, includes a large sofa.
The first hour, co-hosted by Rose and Hill, was comprised of stories including a package on the upcoming New Hampshire primary; a taped interview with GOP candidate Newt Gingrich; and a follow-up segment on Sunday’s “60 Minutes” report on stem cell fraud. The hosts were seated around a glass table bearing the CBS Eye logo.
The second hour of the program included significantly lighter stories. Co-hosted by King and Hill, the hour opened with reports on Kate Middleton’s 30th birthday celebration; Beyoncé giving birth to a baby girl; and a “Health Watch” segment on flu shots. The hour also included interviews with rock star Melissa Etheridge and CBS’ “The Good Wife” star, Julianna Margulies.
At the close of the program, King, Rose, and Hill reflected on the past two hours. King said she felt as though it was the first day of school and hoped they received “good grades.”
(Source: CBS)
