CBS plans will move its morning news out of the Times Square studio it moved intovin 2021. Moving in made no sense.
Just four years after the fairly well-hyped move to a fancy Times Square studio, CBS’s morning news program will move out. That move will likely happen closer to the fall, various news outlets reported.
CBS This Morning relocated to the studio in 2021. When it made the move, it renamed itself to the clunky CBS Mornings title. I’ve never fully understood that title. “This morning” sounds better and makes more sense than a broader “mornings.” After all, I’m just trying to get the news as I’m having my coffee: Let’s worry about one morning at a time, shall we?
The former CBS This Morning had been using Studio 57 in the CBS Broadcast Center, a facility that takes up nearly a complete block in Manhattan.
It’s moving back to that same facility from Times Square.
Not that you’d necessarily know the move was happening unless someone told you. In fact, you wouldn’t have known they moved to a studio that overlooks the famous Time Square if they hadn’t told you. Their set is lined with giant, wall-sized video displays that change to different backgrounds throughout the broadcast.
You never see Times Square from their studio. It has no windows. They could be anywhere.
NewscastStudio reports the reason for the move is likely ongoing budget cuts. By moving to Studio 57, they’ll have one less studio to maintain.
If you’re keeping score, CBS This Morning was in Studio 57 before it made the move. Back in February of 2023, the show had to make a sudden move back there when Studio 1515 had some sort of major technical issues.
The newly-revamped CBS Evening News is currently there, so the morning and evening programs will share the same space.
The Times Square studio that doesn’t show off Times Square
NBC’s Today makes a point of its ground-level studio. At different points during the broadcast, you can see the crowd gathered outside the studio waving and holding up signs.
It’s not the least bit distracting when news is being delivered, of course.
In any case, viewers are reminded that the show originates from Rockefeller Plaza and that the crowds assemble there. Normally, other than a city name, the exact location of a studio isn’t remotely important. It’s rarely even interesting.
Seeing crowds mugging for the camera isn’t remotely interesting to those of us who watch a news program for news. It’s a waste of time at best.
As for the studio itself, it, like the bystanders, shouldn’t be the “star” of the show. I don’t care what street, block or plaza a show originates from. Tell me it’s coming from New York. That’s as much as I could possibly care about.
But over at Studio 1515, all of those videos walls guarantee that the location is even less important. They could shove CBS Mornings in any similarly-equipped basement anywhere and no one would know the difference. Why pay more for a fancy studio in a more “prime location” if the location never enters into it?
This particular budget cut should never have been necessary: It was apparently a waste of money to begin with!
