The last-place CBS morning present is ditching its state-of-the-art Occasions Sq. studio — which price it hundreds of thousands to construct — after simply 4 years because the beleaguered community scrambles to chop prices, The Publish has discovered.
“CBS Mornings” — co-hosted by Gayle King, Nate Burleson and Tony Dokoupil — will transfer again to its dingy former residence at CBS Broadcast Heart on West 57th Avenue from the luxe digs at 1515 Broadway, in keeping with supply with data of the scenario.
“It’s all about saving money,” the community insider stated. “This is another example of them not competing. It’s going back in time.”
The struggling morning present posted an all-time weekly scores low final week because it was relaunched on September 20, 2021 – drawing below 1.87 million whole viewers, in keeping with Nielsen.
The transfer, which is slated for September, comes as CBS Information CEO Wendy McMahon slashes prices as a part of a much bigger mandate at company mum or dad Paramount World to chop $500 million from the price range forward of its hoped-for merger with Skydance Media.
A supply instructed The Publish that “CBS Mornings” will share a smaller studio with “CBS Evening News,” which was lately overhauled after the printed returned to New York from DC following the exit of anchor Norah O’Donnell.
McMahon’s job has been rumored to be on the road as shell-shocked staffers lose religion in her management, one other well-placed supply instructed The Publish.
“The atmosphere at CBS News is one of fear,” the supply stated. “Nobody opens their mouths because they are scared of losing their jobs.”
CBS Information declined to remark.
The Tiffany Community had been renting the Occasions Sq. area, which as soon as hosted the long-running MTV program “TRL,” from Paramount World, previously generally known as ViacomCBS.
One other supply speculated that Paramount might lease out the “CBS Mornings” studio to a different tenant or that maybe there’s a broader technique to slim down its actual property footprint earlier than the brand new proprietor is available in.
Sharing the cramped area with the “Evening News” crew poses its personal challenges, regardless of current upgrades to the gloomy studio corresponding to an LED flooring.
“The studio is much smaller. There’s no space for couches for when the morning show hosts interview A-listers,” one supply stated.
When the morning present was moved in 2021, newly appointed CBS Information co-presidents Neeraj Khemlani and McMahon touted the innovative storytelling capabilities of the studio to the press.
“The new studio in the heart of Times Square will bring us a wealth of new opportunities for high-quality production, changing our look without changing our commitment to impactful news in the morning,” he instructed commerce publication NewsCastStudio on the time.”
However the transfer immediately drew the ire of King and different staffers as a result of the home windows overlooking Occasions Sq. had been lined up — stopping onlookers on the road from gawking on the stay broadcast, as The Publish beforehand reported.
As an alternative, the anchors sit in entrance of massive LED screens that challenge a manufactured view of Occasions Sq..
One factor the anchors possible received’t miss concerning the Occasions Sq. studio is that Paramount shut off the warmth in a single day, resulting in gripes about having to reach to a freezing set within the wee hours of the morning.
Because the transfer to 1515 Broadway, the community has gone by a collection of layoffs and management modifications, together with Khemlani getting ousted in 2023 and McMahon being promoted to president and CEO.
Underneath her management, the community has prioritized centralizing the information division and leaning on its native information stations for a few of its reporting to be able to slash prices.
However her determination to switch O’Donnell with John Dickerson and Maurice DuBoise has to date been a scores catastrophe.
