Movies

‘CBS Mornings’ is leaving its Times Square studio amid Paramount cost-cutting

BBG News

As a movie critic, I find myself reflecting on the shifting tides of broadcast journalism. In an attempt to counteract dwindling viewership and financial struggles, CBS News has decided to relocate its popular morning program from its iconic Times Square studio.

This year, it’s expected that “CBS Mornings” will relocate to the news division’s studio on Manhattan’s West Side, as indicated by two sources who are privy to the plans but cannot speak openly about them.

Since September 2021, the show, jointly hosted by Gayle King, Tony Dokoupil, and Nate Burleson, has been airing from a studio on Broadway. This change in location was simultaneous with a fresh name and lighter atmosphere for the program previously known as “CBS This Morning,” which now goes by a different title.

A spokesperson from CBS News chose not to provide a statement regarding the matter, which was initially shared by the New York Post.

CBS Mornings” is set to leave Times Square, following “Good Morning America” from ABC, which will be shifting its studio to Disney’s new headquarters in Lower Manhattan in June. This means they will no longer be neighbors across the street.

In an attempt to rival NBC’s “Today,” which established a street-level studio at Rockefeller Plaza back in 1994, both CBS and ABC shifted their morning programs to Times Square.

Every day, tourists flock from various parts of the nation to stand outside the NBC studio. Interestingly, the ratings for “Today” show consistently increase during December, following the erection of the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Plaza.

Neither ABC or CBS have been able to generate the same kind of enthusiasm at their studio sites.

Hollywood Inc.

Thanks to the support of Anderson Cooper from CNN, Duthiers has solidified her presence on TV news following her departure from a financially lucrative career in finance.

For CBS, stepping back from Times Square occurs amidst a period where their news department encounters several difficulties.

The television network is embroiled in a court dispute with former President Donald Trump, who initiated a 20-billion-dollar lawsuit against the network due to a 2024 “60 Minutes” interview with then-Vice President Kamala Harris. Trump alleges that the interview was manipulated editorially to present Harris as more articulate and decisive. CBS denies any misconduct and has requested that the case be thrown out.

The ongoing lawsuit is causing confusion in Paramount Global’s, CBS’s parent company, $8-billion merger plan with Skydance Media. The news division has resisted Paramount Global Chairwoman Shari Redstone’s efforts to resolve the case swiftly, so the transaction can proceed.

As a dedicated cinephile of the evening news, I’ve noticed that the latest version of “CBS Evening News,” with its dynamic duo John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois at the helm, isn’t quite captivating audiences as much as it should be. The viewership numbers are hovering around 4 million, placing it a good distance behind the box office champions “ABC World News Tonight With David Muir” and “NBC Nightly News With Lester Holt.

On Tuesday, “Special Report With Bret Baier” on Fox News outranked “CBS Evening News”. However, it’s important to note that this program can only be accessed in households with a subscription to pay television services.

In recent times, “CBS Mornings” has seen an increase in its share of morning viewers but hasn’t been able to overtake ABC and NBC to secure first place. Despite being crucial revenue generators for their network news divisions, all three morning shows have experienced a decline in audience as viewers shift towards non-traditional TV platforms.

Read More

2025-03-21 21:01

Previous post Law & Order Actor Gets 25 Years to Life for Chilling Revenge Murder
Next post The First Berserker: Khazan – Everything You Need to Know