CBS shakes up morning show; Smith, Rodriguez out

Big changes are happening Tuesday at CBS, as the network replaces the stars of "The Early Show."

The AP reported Tuesday that co-anchors Harry Smith and Maggie Rodriguez are both out. Chris Wragge and Erica Hill, who've anchored CBS's Saturday morning show, will take over the weekday broadcast.

CBS has tapped Saturday "Evening News" anchor and "Early Show" reporter Jeff Glor to become the morning show's news reader. Weatherman Dave Price will also be out in the shake-up, with Marysol Castro taking over that job.

The network confirmed shake-up reports in a statement.

"Erica, Chris, Jeff and Marysol are four accomplished broadcasters who already have proven track records and loyal followings," said David Friedman, executive producer of "The Early Show." "Together, they're going to be even stronger. This group is the perfect combination of intelligence and personality for morning television, and I'm excited to give viewers the opportunity to welcome them into their homes each morning."

It remains to be seen whether Tuesday's overhaul will help CBS get out of third place. The network currently lags far behind NBC's "Today" show and ABC's "Good Morning America," shows that bring in 5.6 million and 4.6 million viewers, respectively. "The Early Show" brings in 2.9 million viewers.

The Wragge-Hill team will begin broadcasting Jan. 3.

CBS announced that Smith "will shift his focus to hard news with an expanded role as primary substitute anchor on 'The Evening News With Katie Couric,' 'Face the Nation' and 'Sunday Morning.'" CBS is currently discussing future roles for Rodriguez and Price.

(2009 photo of Smith, left, and Rodriguez talking to Capt. Chesley B. Sullenberger III: CBS "Early Show"/David M. Russell, via AP)