CBS Shifts Personnel in Search of Ratings
CBS, trying to raise the low ratings of its late-night and morning shows, is putting a veteran sports producer with “The Pat Sajak Show” and two new reporters on “CBS This Morning.”
Sajak’s talk show will get Michael Weisman, an NBC Sports producer for 15 years, as co-executive producer. Sajak is the other executive producer. Weisman has won 10 Emmy awards for sports telecasts.
The reporters joining “CBS This Morning” are Steve Kmetko of KCBS-TV in Los Angeles and Wayne Freedman, formerly of KRON-TV in San Francisco. Kmetko will report on the entertainment industry but continue at KCBS. Freedman, who will be a features reporter for the CBS show, will be based here.
CBS announced the staff changes Monday. A spokesman also said that director Peter Bogdanovich, who had reviewed videocassettes of classic films and interviewed film figures for CBS’ morning show, is leaving the program.
The show, co-anchored by Harry Smith and Kathleen Sullivan, is a distant third in ratings against NBC’s top-rated “Today” show and ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
Sajak’s show has struggled in the ratings since its Jan. 9 debut. It began as a 90-minute program but was cut back to just an hour on Oct. 30.
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