‘CBS Mornings’ to Expand: Third Hour of Show in the Works

A third hour of CBS Mornings is in the works, in a significant expansion of the morning news program.

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The third hour is slated to launch in late September on some CBS-owned stations, and will also simulcast on the network’s streaming platform CBS News 24/7, though many details remain TBD.

CBS Mornings executive producer Shawna Thomas revealed the news in a note to staff Friday.

Thomas said that the talent featured on the broadcast and the name of the hour will be slightly different than the main program, which is anchored by Gayle King, Tony Dokoupil and Nate Burleson. It will also have a slightly different look and feel, “but it will still be the smart and engaging content everyone expects from the CBS Mornings family,” Thomas wrote.

The third hour still has a lot of developmental work to do, Thomas told staff, though it is ramping up in the next few weeks, with a number of jobs opening connected to the new hour (existing CBS Mornings staff will also work on it).

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CBS Mornings had been the only broadcast morning show that had not expanded beyond its original timeslot, with NBC’s Today show now controlling four hours on that network (the fourth hour launched in 2007), and ABC’s Good Morning America launching a third hour called GMA3 that now airs in the early afternoon.

The CBS Mornings expansion is notable in that it will primarily be accessible via streaming, and will only be on broadcast in a handful of markets … at least to start.

“The expansion of CBS Mornings shows a commitment to the brand and the idea that there is a possibility of some growth at a challenging time,” Thomas wrote. “So, let’s do this together and make another hour of tv/digital video/content we can be proud of.”

While the program still trails NBC’s Today and ABC’s GMA , it has made significant ratings strides over the past couple of years, particularly in the adults 25-54 demographic that remains the core news demo.

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