CBS dumps anchor team on ‘Early Show’

Associated Press

NEW YORK

CBS News abruptly gave “The Early Show” a complete makeover Tuesday, replacing co-hosts Harry Smith and Maggie Rodriguez and installing its current Saturday anchor team of Chris Wragge and Erica Hill.

The network is also replacing weather forecaster Dave Price with Marysol Castro, formerly of ABC’s “Good Morning America” weekend edition, and adding Jeff Glor as the regular news reader.

The new team will start Jan. 3.

There had been little inkling that change was afoot, although the show had changed its executive producer within the past year. That executive, David Friedman, said he believed the new team had the right energy and chemistry to embark on another effort at lifting the show out of third place in the network morning news ratings.

“It’s less about what we weren’t getting and less about a generational change or a different direction,” Friedman said. “We just literally think this is the right team going forward.”

“The Early Show” has consistently ranked behind the morning champ, NBC’s “Today” show, and ABC’s “Good Morning America.” The week before Thanksgiving was typical: “Today” averaged 5.6 million viewers each day, “GMA” had 4.6 million and “The Early Show” had 2.9 million, the Nielsen Co. said.

CBS News President Sean McManus said he won’t be expecting any immediate ratings changes in a time period where “Today” hasn’t lost a single week in nearly 15 years. But he said he believed the new team will help the show grow.

“This group, I think, will work very well together,” McManus said. “I think the chemistry will be very good. We just felt the timing was right to start planning for the future.”