Just four years after CBS Mornings unveiled its gleaming, multimillion-dollar studio, the network is pulling the plug on the high-end production space—and the message is clear: the cost-cutting era has arrived in full force.
CBS Mornings, the network’s third-place morning show helmed by Gayle King, Nate Burleson, and Tony Dokoupil, will be leaving its upscale digs and relocating to the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.
The move, set for September, is part of a sweeping effort by CBS News CEO Wendy McMahon to slash $500 million from the network’s budget. And while executives are touting operational efficiency, insiders are sounding the alarm.
“This is another example of them not competing. It’s going back in time,” one source told the New York Post, describing the shift not just as financial retrenchment, but as a symbolic retreat in the morning show wars.
The show will now share studio space with CBS Evening News, a significant downgrade from its custom-designed set that once featured room for couches and live interviews. “The studio is much smaller,” a source revealed, adding that the space limitations could affect the format of the program, especially when hosting major guests.
The future of the now-vacated prime real estate remains unclear—Paramount has not indicated whether it will lease the space or downsize its property footprint altogether.
CBS Mornings has faced persistent ratings challenges, and last week, it hit a new low since its 2021 relaunch—just 1.87 million total viewers over seven days. The show’s year-over-year viewership has dropped 6%, placing it even further behind competitors at ABC and NBC.
Sources point to internal programming decisions as a key factor in the decline. The network’s decision to rework the CBS Evening News—replacing longtime anchor Norah O’Donnell with a two-anchor system featuring Maurice DuBois and John Dickerson—was met with lukewarm reception and dwindling numbers.
The new, magazine-style format, some say, has lost the punch of traditional headline-driven reporting. “It’s a disaster,” a former CBS News executive told DailyMail.com, describing the change as critically panned and hemorrhaging viewers.
Compounding the crisis, the network is also dealing with high-profile legal issues involving former President Trump and recent disruptions in its New York weather team. Last week, chief weatherman Lonnie Quinn announced he would be stepping away from anchoring due to lingering effects from a concussion earlier this year.
