CBS News is overhauling the on-air team of its third-place morning program, *The Early Show*. Beginning Jan. 3, Chris Wragge and Erica Hill, who have co-anchored the Saturday edition since 2008, will replace weekday co-hosts Harry Smith and Maggie Rodriguez. Marysol Castro, previously with ABC’s weekend *Good Morning America*, will replace weather forecaster Dave Price, and Jeff Glor will join as the regular news reader.

CBS executives hope the new team’s energy and chemistry will help the program grow. The show has trailed NBC’s *Today* and ABC’s *Good Morning America*: in the week before Thanksgiving, the three programs averaged 5.6 million, 4.6 million and 2.9 million viewers, respectively. CBS News President Sean McManus said he did not expect an immediate ratings shift but believed the incoming team worked well together. He praised Wragge and Hill’s ability to move between hard news and lighter material.

Smith has had the longest tenure among the departing hosts and was the only remaining member of a four-anchor team assembled in 2002. He also hosted an earlier CBS morning show from 1987 to 1996. He plans to stay at the network as a news reporter and primary substitute on *CBS Evening News*, *Face the Nation* and *Sunday Morning*. CBS was discussing future roles for Rodriguez and Price.

The changes came with little public indication that a major overhaul was imminent. Television critic David Bianculli said it was understandable for CBS to make a change given the show’s performance, though he found the suddenness surprising and suggested it reflected desperation.

A separate supplied passage contained a Yahoo page-not-found message and no news report.