CBS News is overhauling the on-air team of *The Early Show* in an effort to lift the broadcast from third place in the network morning news ratings. Beginning Jan. 3, Saturday co-anchors Chris Wragge and Erica Hill will take over the weekday show from Harry Smith and Maggie Rodriguez. Jeff Glor will join as news reader, while Marysol Castro, formerly of the weekend edition of ABC’s *Good Morning America*, will replace weather forecaster Dave Price.

The changes came with little public warning. Executive producer David Friedman and CBS News President Sean McManus said they believe the new team has the energy and chemistry to help the show grow. Wragge and Hill have worked together on the Saturday edition since 2008, and McManus praised their ability to move between hard news and lighter stories. Hill is already familiar to weekday viewers as the show’s news reader.

*The Early Show* has consistently trailed NBC’s *Today* and ABC’s *Good Morning America*. In the week before Thanksgiving, Nielsen reported average daily audiences of 5.6 million for *Today*, 4.6 million for *Good Morning America* and 2.9 million for *The Early Show*. McManus said he did not expect an immediate ratings turnaround, noting that *Today* had not lost a week in nearly 15 years.

Smith, who hosted CBS morning programs for 17 of the previous 25 years, said he was grateful for the opportunity and wished the incoming team 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 CBS had reason to change a show that had struggled for years, though he described the speed and scale of the shake-up as surprising and suggestive of desperation.

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