Overview
- CBS announced in a staff memo on Sept. 3 that Norah O'Donnell will join Gayle King and Nate Burleson as a permanent co‑host of CBS Mornings starting Sept. 8.
- O'Donnell will keep her role as a full‑time 60 Minutes correspondent and continue hosting the Healthful podcast while adding weekday morning duties.
- The move is presented by network leaders as a ratings play after Nielsen data showed season‑to‑date viewership of roughly 1.7 million, a 9% decline year‑over‑year and about a 20% drop in the 25–54 demographic to near 278,000 viewers.
- Executives say the show will shift away from feature segments toward a faster format with more live interviews, in‑the‑moment discussions, and added permanent contributors across news, health and lifestyle beats.
- Some outlets reported friction over the hire but CBS sources say Gayle King was involved in the search; the change comes during a larger leadership and programming reshuffle at CBS News that could reshape the network's morning and prime‑time lineup.