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Should CBS Expand "Face The Nation" And/Or Cut Back/Cancel "Sunday Morning"?

DToTheJ

DToTheJ

Should CBS Expand "Face The Nation" And/Or Cut Back/Cancel "Sunday Morning"?

The death of Walter Cronkite led me to sample "CBS News Sunday Morning" for a bit this week.

And it got me to wondering... How good has this show's ratings been ever since Charles Kuralt signed off? I guess they're pretty good considering it's still in the same 90-minute format that it's been for years. Any chance in the near future that it could be scaled back to just an hour? Which leads to my next point...

I also realized that of the four Sunday morning politics/news talk shows on the four major networks, only "Face The Nation" is just a half-hour, compared to the other three programs' hour-long formats.

Does anybody know why "Face The Nation" is still just a half-hour? Is it a money issue? Or perhaps CBS feels a "roundtable" segment (which is the case on the second half of the other Sunday morning shows) doesn't fit what "Face The Nation" is trying to accomplish? Or maybe they do indeed plan to expand to an hour once Bob Schieffer steps down as moderator?
 
Re: Should CBS Expand "Face The Nation" And/Or Cut Back/Cancel "Sunday Morning"?

CBS would be crazy to cancel Sunday Morning. All the time I hear week after week they beat "Today" and "GMA", which carry the traditional morning show format that just doesn't seem to fit with a non-work day where you don't need to be hyperupdated on everything in ten minutes. Like "60 Minutes", it's a Sunday tradition I don't see going away any time soon since it has a view of the news and culture that people like over the thin competition of the morning shows and the greatly reduced religious programming (which is a shame in the latter; Sunday morning is NOT for infomercials). I especially enjoyed seeing that it was in HD, yet kept all the characteristics that make SM unique.

As for FTN I don't think it's a money issue at all, but more about other factors, like being more of a review of political news than the other two shows, Bob's influence, tradition, an "it's not broken so don't fix it" mentality and not wanting to have to be crowded out in the SMTS game (with a half-hour politicos wanting to go on feel much more comfortable knowing their time won't be more than 20 minutes instead of 40+ minutes).
 
Re: Should CBS Expand "Face The Nation" And/Or Cut Back/Cancel "Sunday Morning"?

CBS Sunday Morning has been a tradition in my house for years. However, over the last couple of years it has not lived up to its history. It has become too formulaic and too predictable.
 
Re: Should CBS Expand "Face The Nation" And/Or Cut Back/Cancel "Sunday Morning"?

Just as the "Curse of Captain Kangeroo" has prevented CBS news from gaining traction in the mornings.

If Sunday Morning is shortened or cancelled the curse of Charles Kuralt will strike......and the Captain won't be happy either.
 
Re: Should CBS Expand "Face The Nation" And/Or Cut Back/Cancel "Sunday Morning"?

I regularly watch Sunday Morning and Face the Nation. Face the Nation often feels rushed, especially when they have multiple guests. The half-hour format is great for one guest (or two guests being interviewed simultaneously). Having one guest, break, second guest gives Bob time to ask about 3 questions.

I like Sunday Morning the way it is, though. So the extra 30:00 would need to come back from affiliates. I don't feel that will happen.
 
Re: Should CBS Expand "Face The Nation" And/Or Cut Back/Cancel "Sunday Morning"?

"Sunday Morning" delivers a high proportion of upscale, high-income demo viewers....the type who still have money to spend. Just take a look at the advertisers-they know this, too.I know plenty of fellow educators who break out the custom blend coffee and their copy of the Sunday New York Times while turning "Sunday Morning" on at 9:00 am, if only to have it on in the background. It's not going anywhere!
 
Re: Should CBS Expand "Face The Nation" And/Or Cut Back/Cancel "Sunday Morning"?

My only criticism of Sunday Morning is its New York-centric focus. Although it does have features located across the country too many of its features seem targeted at Big Apple dwellers. The show loses me very quickly when that happens.
 
Re: Should CBS Expand "Face The Nation" And/Or Cut Back/Cancel "Sunday Morning"?

Can't speak much about Sunday Morning because I'm usually watching one of the other talkers or local news. I do like the end segment where they show a nature scene.

Face The Nation is great. Bob Schieffer is like an Uncle and he doesn't take anything from anyone. Out of the other 3 national Sunday shows, to me it seems that Bob can verbally narrow down answers to his questions.

I like the Panel segment. Fox News Sunday is my favorite. I used to think that FTN needed this every week but it works when they assemble one every couple of weeks.

While I agree that the show is rushed when there is more than 2 guests, I think it will stay as-is until Schieffer retires.
 
Re: Should CBS Expand "Face The Nation" And/Or Cut Back/Cancel "Sunday Morning"?

Aren't most people getting ready for church during "Sunday Morning" and in church during "Face the Nation"?

Bob Schieffer should still be the CBS anchor. Kate Couric is not a legitimate successor to Walter Cronkite.
 
Re: Should CBS Expand "Face The Nation" And/Or Cut Back/Cancel "Sunday Morning"?

vchimpanzee said:
Aren't most people getting ready for church during "Sunday Morning" and in church during "Face the Nation"?
Click to expand...

Depends on where you live, I suppose. I'm sure the ratings are lower in the Bible Belt where EVERYONE::) goes to church. On the West Coast (the least-churched part of the country), I'm sure that Face The Nation does very well.
 
Re: Should CBS Expand "Face The Nation" And/Or Cut Back/Cancel "Sunday Morning"?

Sunday Morning does well in the 25-54 demos. CBS will not change the format.

CBS is doing fine.
 
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