‘CBS Mornings Plus’ Set for September 30 Debut
Morning-news viewers in various parts of the country will soon have more to watch on CBS.
CBS News will on September 30 launch a live, third hour of its flagship “CBS Mornings” A.M. program, a move that will extend the show into the 9 a.m. hour. “CBS Mornings Plus” will be co-anchored by Tony Dokoupil and Adriana Diaz, and will air weekdays on CBS-owned stations in in Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Detroit and Miami and simulcast on CBS News 24/7, CBS News’ free streaming news outlet.
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“This expansion of ‘CBS Mornings’ shows a commitment to the brand, and I’m excited to see what this team can do with another hour of real estate to experiment with,” said Shawna Thomas, executive producer of “CBS Mornings” and the new extension. “People say all the time they wish we had another hour. Now it’s time for us to do something smart with the time that the audience will appreciate.
The new show will tackle not only the important news stories of the day, but also pop culture, entertainment, health, wellness and financial news. Dokoupil will continue as co-host of the first two hours of “CBS Mornings” along with Gayle King and Nate Burleson.
Launch of a third hour could prove ambitious. After all, many CBS stations and affiliates already take a syndicated half-hour talk show hosted by Drew Barrymore following the end of “CBS Mornings.” Yet both NBC and ABC have extended their flagship morning programs, “Today” and “Good Morning America.” NBC offers hours of “Today” that are much lighter in tone from the show’s flagship 7 a.m. to 9 a.m. show. ABC runs a third hour of “GMA” in the early afternoon.
There are good reasons for CBS to expand morning-news hours. The “CBS Mornings” concept is one that many advertisers recognize and the news hours are likely cheaper to produce than a talk show, game show, or soap opera. NBC has found traction by broadcasting some hours of its NBC News Now live-streaming service in afternoons for stations that wish to take them in programs packaged as “NBC News Daily.”
“We are building on the momentum of ‘CBS Mornings” and giving audiences more of the signature storytelling and differentiated reporting that they have come to expect from CBS News in the mornings,” said Wendy McMahon, president and CEO, CBS News and Stations and CBS Media Ventures.
Dokoupil, who joined CBS News in 2016, has worked as a “CBS Mornings” co-host since 2019 and has tackled on-the-ground breaking news as well as a variety of newsmaker interviews. He has also worked for MSNBC and Newsweek and The Daily Beast. Diaz joined CBS News in 2012 and has worked as the anchor of the Saturday broadcast of “CBS Weekend News.” She speaks Spanish and advanced French and Mandarin.
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