Dumb Daytime Moves--CBS Morning News

CBS has never been too successful with its early morning programs, even though ABC was the last of the "three networks" to join in the fray.  The Eye network's first morning show, "The Morning Show," began on March 15, 1954, hosted by Walter Cronkite (yes, THAT one), and ran for two hours (like "The Today Show" on NBC).  It was cut back to one hour (7-8) on October 3, 1955, to make room for a little kids' show called "Captain Kangaroo," and on February 27, 1956, the show was retitled "Good Mornin'," but the show was still beaten soundly by "Today."  It was canceled on April 5, 1957.  CBS would not attempt an early morning show again until 1965.

On August 16, 1965, the CBS Morning News (which had debuted at 10:00 a.m. on September 2, 1963) aired for 25 minutes from 7:05 a.m. to 7:30 a.m.  It expanded to a full hour from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. on March 31, 1969, and remained at that length for over a decade.  In January of 1979, it was retitled "Morning," and used the format of its "CBS Sunday Morning" show.  On September 25, 1981, the show expanded to 90 minutes (7:30 a.m.-9:00 a.m., and to two hours (7-9) on January 18, 1982.  Despite numerous changes to the show, it never topped "Today."

But the worst occurred on January 12, 1987, when it was transferred from the News to the entertainment division, and became "The Morning Program."  It shrunk back to 90 minutes (7:30 a.m.-9:00 a.m.), and was how hosted by Rolland Smith and Mariette Hartley, with Mark McEwan at weather, and comedian Bob Saget doing comedy bits (this was shortly before he started doing "Full House").  "The Morning Program" soon became the joke of the industry, bring the show its lowest ratings in five years.  In fact, ratings were SO bad, that one long-time producer said...

"Everyone thought we had the lowest ratings you could have in the morning.  The Morning Program proved us wrong."

On November 30, 1987, it was transferred back to the news division, and became "CBS This Morning," now back at two hours from seven to nine, and hosted by Harry Smith (no relation to Rolland) and Kathleen Sullivan.  The show still stayed at the bottom of the morning ratings, to the point where several stations dropped the program and replaced it with their own local morning newscast.

On November 1, 1999, the show became "The Early Show", now hosted by Bryant Gumbel (formerly of "The Today Show") and newcomer Jane Clayson, but the show was STILL in third place.  Even with all the changes to the show, it seems that CBS will be forever destined to have the lowest-rated morning show on the networks.