CBS News has revamped its morning program, with CBS Mornings taking the place of CBS This Morning on Sept. 7. The program comes from a new studio in Times Square, and has added Nate Burleson to the team, alongside Gayle King and Tony Dokoupil.
CBS aims to have the daily show more in line with CBS Sunday Morning. Neeraj Khemlani, president and co-head of CBS News and Stations, described the move to B+C/Multichannel News as a chance to “connect the dots.” He called CBS Sunday Morning, hosted by Jane Pauley, as a “cathedral” and plans to offer deep, distinctive stories seven mornings a week.
“It’s about organizing ourselves in a way that unleashes that kind of storytelling,” Khemlani said. “CBS Mornings is an effort to build a franchise seven days a week. We put it under one umbrella and have it feel like, and be, all part of one family.”
CBS This Morning debuted in 2012, replacing The Early Show and offering a harder mix of news than higher-rated Good Morning America or Today.
New to the weekday program is Burleson. A former NFL player, he signed a long-term deal with CBS that has him not only co-hosting CBS Mornings, but also appearing on CBS Sports and Nickelodeon. Khemlani called Burleson “one of those once-in-a-generation type of voices,” who brings “an enormous amount of energy and chemistry to the team.” He also called him a “Renaissance man,” whose background includes not only football, but fashion, finance and poetry.
“I plan on adding some spice, if you will, to the successful recipe that is CBS Mornings,” Burleson said in an interview. “I’m an individual with a unique skill set, much more than an athlete.”
Burleson described himself as a “team-first guy” with a deep respect for his co-
hosts, and those who sat there before him.
Khemlani called the Times Square studio a “catalyst” for the rebrand. It is bigger than the previous studio, with a wider array of settings, and of course Times Square buzzing outside. “It allows us, and enables us, to operate in a 21st century studio for a 21st century battle plan,” he said.
Khemlani started his role in April.
“The opportunity to make an impact on the world journalistically at this scale,” he added, “comes around once in a lifetime.”
