Bryant Gumbel and CBS are parting ways. After five years with CBS -- the last
two-and-a-half as the anchor of the network's latest morning-show incarnation,
The Early Show -- Gumbel is calling it quits to pursue unspecified other
interests.
The exact timing of his departure has yet to be determined, a CBS News spokeswoman
said, nor has a decision on his replacement.
Gumbel joined CBS in 1997 after almost two decades with NBC, including 15
as host of Today, to host a prime time magazine, Public Eye with
Bryant Gumbel. The show won two Emmy Awards and two Peabodys, but it never
caught on in the ratings and was canceled in its second season.
Gumbel then agreed to host the network's new effort in the a.m., The Early
Show, which launched in the fall of 1999.
"While I am disappointed that the show didn't fare better in the ratings, I
am pleased with the quality of the broadcast we created," Gumbel said in a
prepared statement. He was traveling and not available for comment.
Gumbel recently became engaged to former Goldman, Sachs & Co. research analyst
Hilary Quinlan.
In the CBS statement, Gumbel said, "As I prepare a new chapter in my personal
life, it makes sense to me to turn the page on my professional lifem as well."
He added that while morning TV has been "wonderful ... there are other interests I'm eager to
pursue."
