CBS' Early Show Wasn't Early's Kind of Show

Maybe everyone else knows this, but I didn’t until yesterday.

After four virtual visits to New Orleans for “Market Eye”–three as a reporter, and one as an editor–I just learned that the CBS morning program does not air on CBS affiliate WWL.

WWL is the market leader in New Orleans, and one of the strong CBS affiliates around the country. It all started in the mid ‘80s. Then GM Michael Early became enraged after watching then Early ShowCBS Morning Show host Phyllis George ask two guests–Cathleen Crowell Webb, and the man she’d wrongfully had sent to jail for rape, Gary Dotson–if they would embrace. Early said WWL wouldn’t air the CBS programanymore after that morning television lowlight.

The CBS morning broadcast eventually moved to WUPL, which was owned by Viacom before being bought by WWL parent Belo. Now called CBS This Morning, you can watch the network newscast on WUPL.

WWL, meanwhile, kicked off 4:30 a.m. news just this week. That gives WWL a 4:30 to 9 a.m. news block–a 4:30 to 9 a.m. local news block, that is.

Michael Malone

Michael Malone, senior content producer at B+C/Multichannel News, covers network programming, including entertainment, news and sports on broadcast, cable and streaming; and local broadcast television. He hosts the podcasts Busted Pilot, about what’s new in television, and Series Business, a chat with the creator of a new program, and writes the column “The Watchman.” He joined B+C in 2005. His journalism has also appeared in The New York Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Playboy and New York magazine.