Most of the reviews I’ve seen of the new CBS This Morning have been positive, suggesting that CBS kept its promise of bringing “news” back to “morning news.”
I actually set my clock early enough that I’d have time to walk the dog and still catch the top of the show. I’m glad I did. I had heard some rumors of what they had planned, but was still surprised by what I saw.
The hosting duties are split between Charlie Rose and Gayle King, with Erica Hill acting as news reader. There is no weather guesser; the show leaves the forecasting to local affiliates’  morning meteorologists. Rose is the leader of the 7am hour, while King has a much bigger presence in the 8am hour.   As Time magazine’s review put it, the two hours are “almost literally night and day.”
The show begins with a 90-second montage of what is going on, cleverly titled the “Eye Opener.” They pack a good bit of content into that fast-paced start. The remainder of that first half hour tends to be a recap of what’s going on with a deeper look at a top story or two. In this morning’s inaugural episode, Rose spent a good deal of time on the Republican primary race. Scott Pelley also talked about his story from the previous night’s edition of 60 Minutes, a hidden camera investigation on a doctor accused of illegally selling stem cells for unproven treatment.
King’s hour featured Julianna Margulies of CBS’s The Good Wife and singer Melissa Etheridge. There was also a report on Kate Middleton’s upcoming 30th birthday. So much for all hard news, but then no one really promised that level of extreme.
To be honest, I’d never watched King before. And I’d only seen snippets of Rose’s PBS interview program. Given a choice between the two hours, I’d definitely prefer that 7am hour, where Rose exhibits a friendly though knowledgeable attitude that reminds me of CBS veteran Bob Schieffer. Maybe King will grow on me after a few weeks. And I’m definitely willing to give it a longer try.
One reviewer, however, came up with an awful idea:
“I’d encourage more interaction among them, and the show clearly needs to add a supporting character in the tradition of Al Roker to deliver both the weather and a few zingers for the three hosts to chuckle over.”
I don’t want a “supporting character”  to give people something to chuckle over. This same reviewer even follows this statement with the reminder that it must compete against NBC’s Today and ABC’s Good Morning America, as well as cable offerings. Maybe, to compete better, it doesn’t have to have the same formula those shows have.
That, I’m pretty sure, is the whole point of this new branding, new look, new anchors and new format.
It’s a shame CBS News has taken such a beating in the ratings in its morning and evening news over the years. CBS hasn’t had a real hit in the morning since Captain Kangaroo left the air in the mid-1980s. Maybe this time they’ve stumbled onto a formula that will stick.
Did you watch the show?   If not, what’s your normal choice for morning news?
