Maybe This is Why CBS Needs to Leave the Morning News Race

For those of us who watch the morning shows, you know it's a horse race between NBC's Today; ABC'S Good Morning America; and CBS's The Early Show. The former two, as many of us know, are constantly nose to nose when it comes to reaching first place. CBS, however, probably should have stuck with
Captain Kangaroo (or any children's TV equivalent), because it's constantly in the Nielsen toilet.

One of my addictions is looking at YouTube (which is, like Blogger, is owned by Google. It's also what I constantly use for video footage. Of course, I always give credit to my sources), and today, I came across this gem. Now, before I begin, it must be noted that CBS's morning news ran mainly at 7:00AM, and came on before Captain Kangaroo. It ran for one hour, until the late 1970s or early 1980s, when it was reduced to 30 minutes. Unlike Today, CBS Morning News mainly ran just hard news.

The co-anchors in this nearly 10 minute clip from 1973 are Hughes Rudd, and Sally Quinn, who quit the Washington Post to anchor the morning news.


VintageTelevision/YouTube

When I watched the clip, I wondered if I needed to reach for one of those Excedrin PM tablets (in place of the Advil I carry). This was a painful clip to watch, and is it me, or does Sally look like she's recovered from a stroke. Boy, was she nervous. Never mind she was sick, but she looked robotic, no emotion whatsoever.

At least, this clip does show that cool "Keep America Beautiful" ad campaign from 1971, with the crying Native America- and a promo for the remake of "Perry Mason" (Well, like I said, not everything was perfect at the Tiffany network).

CBS. America's Most Watched TV Network. In everything EXCEPT NEWS! Perhaps it's time for CBS to leave the news business, and just stick to entertainment.

(C)2009, by Darren W. Alexander. All Rights Reserved.