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Imitation isn’t always the most sincere form of flattery, at least when it comes to the morning TV wars.
After Wednesday’s announcement that “CBS This Morning” was replacing veteran reporter Antony Mason with former football star and “Extra” correspondent Nate Burleson, several industry insiders told us the network is admitting to having trouble with it. copying its rival “Good Morning America.”
And it doesn’t help that the CBS show also announced in May that it would be shooting from a new studio right across from “GMA” in Times Square.
“They basically copy ‘GMA’. They move to Times Square, hire a [Michael] Strahan. And after? Cooking segments? They are clearly in trouble, ”an industry source said.
Meanwhile, another source told us that the staff at “GMA” are “all shaken up by why CBS is copying them.” That’s all the talk this morning on ABC, ”they said.
The move comes as ratings for NBC’s “Today” – once topped the morning show – continue to lose ground to “GMA”. This season to date, “GMA” would be the most-watched morning show for the 9th consecutive year, and this year increased its lead on “Today” to its biggest in four years. (Although “Today” added viewers to its Olympic broadcasts.)
“CBS This Morning” stays down.
An ABC insider admitted there had been a buzz around the news, but “‘shaken’ is not the way to describe it,” the source said. “Look at the numbers. Do you think “GMA” would be threatened by CBS? “
Hiring CBS Strahan “takes a page out of the playbook. It’s an interesting decision for them,” they added.
Another person from a competing network laughed: “It’s the same show. [that] make a statement about not wanting [have anchors] dress up for Halloween! They pitched a stake on Halloween instead of having fun, and now a soccer player is at the table? “Real Sports” was not recruiting? It is insulting to journalists.
Burleson’s hiring comes after former president of ABC-owned TV stations Wendy McMahon fled the network to become president and co-head of CBS News and the TV stations earlier this year.
“It’s interesting that they put an ABC person in there, and she’s running the show. I applaud them for recognizing a winning playbook and stealing it, but that could spell disaster, ”the ABC source said.
Another source familiar with Burleson’s hiring told us “they’re preparing him” for him to take over after he took over while co-host Tony Dokoupil was on paternity leave. “Hollywood and this company only find value in former NFL players at the moment. This is the Strahan effect. It’s not even a subtle trend, ”they said.
In addition to co-hosting “CBS This Morning,” Burleson’s overall deal will include an analyst role on CBS Sports’ “The NFL Today” and regular appearances on Nickelodeon, according to Variety. He will join Gayle King and Dokoupil at the table in September.
Neeraj Khemlani, president and co-head of CBS News and Stations, described Burleson as “the perfect fit for matinees on CBS” in a press release.
“There is no doubt that Nate’s experiences and his broader interests in news, sports and entertainment will be an exciting addition to the table with Gayle and Tony as we continue to evolve the broadcast format to double. news, original reporting, great storytelling and a wide array of features that appeal to viewers across the country, ”he said in an internal memo.
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