Elisabeth Hasselbeck, a prominent conservative voice on American television, is scheduled to guest host CBS Mornings for three days next week. Her appearance, beginning Monday, will see her presenting alongside Gayle King and Nate Burleson, and is part of a broader strategy by CBS News to revitalise its flagship morning programme and attract a wider audience.
Hasselbeck, 49, gained significant recognition during her decade-long tenure as the conservative panellist on the popular talk show 'The View', from 2003 to 2013. She is known for her outspoken conservative viewpoints and engaging in lively debates with co-hosts. For her upcoming role on CBS Mornings, the programme has indicated she will focus on lighter topics such as parenting and pop culture, specifically avoiding political or hard news segments. This approach suggests an effort to leverage her personality without directly engaging in the more contentious areas of news coverage.
The decision to bring in Hasselbeck as a guest host comes at a time when CBS Mornings is reportedly struggling with its viewership figures. Recent Nielsen data for the week of June 1 showed the programme attracting 1.693 million total viewers, a 4 per cent decrease from the previous week. This places it significantly behind competitors such as NBC News' 'Today', which averaged 2.928 million viewers, and ABC News' 'Good Morning America' with 2.702 million, highlighting the competitive landscape of US morning television.
This initiative is understood to be part of a wider shake-up at CBS News orchestrated by its new editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, who assumed the role last October. Weiss, whose former 'anti-woke' media outlet The Free Press was acquired by CBS's parent company Paramount, was appointed by billionaire owner David Ellison. Her leadership has been characterised by a perceived effort to address bias within the news organisation and boost ratings. This has included a series of 'try-outs' for various personalities, with other guests expected to feature on the show over the summer.
The changes under Weiss's leadership have not been without controversy. Earlier this week, veteran '60 Minutes' correspondent Scott Pelley, who had been with CBS for nearly four decades, was reportedly dismissed. His departure followed accusations by Pelley that Weiss was 'murdering' the top news programme and that a 'subtle political bias' had emerged within CBS News that he had not witnessed before. Several other long-serving CBS News veterans, including executive producer Tanya Simon, have also reportedly departed or been replaced since Weiss took charge, often by individuals with limited or no prior broadcast journalism experience.