CBS News is overhauling the weekday edition of *The Early Show* in an effort to improve its longstanding third-place position in the morning news ratings. Chris Wragge and Erica Hill, who have co-anchored the program’s Saturday edition since 2008, will replace weekday co-hosts Harry Smith and Maggie Rodriguez beginning Jan. 3.

The new lineup also includes Jeff Glor as news reader and Marysol Castro, formerly of ABC’s weekend edition of *Good Morning America*, as weather anchor. Castro will replace Dave Price. Hill is the only member of the current weekday team remaining on the show, moving from news reader to co-anchor.

CBS executives said they chose the new team for its chemistry and experience balancing hard news with lighter morning programming. Executive producer David Friedman said the changes were intended to put the right team in place for the future. CBS News President Sean McManus said he expected the show to grow but did not anticipate an immediate ratings turnaround.

The challenge is substantial. In the week before Thanksgiving, NBC’s leading *Today* averaged 5.6 million viewers a day, ABC’s *Good Morning America* averaged 4.6 million, and *The Early Show* averaged 2.9 million, according to Nielsen. *Today* had not lost a week in nearly 15 years.

Smith, who had hosted CBS morning programs for 17 of the previous 25 years, said he was grateful for the opportunity and wished his successors well. He will remain at CBS as a news reporter and primary substitute anchor for the *CBS Evening News*, *Face the Nation* and *Sunday Morning*. CBS said it was discussing future roles with Rodriguez and Price.

Television critic and media professor David Bianculli said the show’s persistent ratings difficulties made a shake-up understandable, although he described the abruptness of the changes as surprising.

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