O'Donnell Returns to CBS Mornings as Ratings Slide

"We believe there is a lot of life left in morning television, and therefore we are putting our best people on the field," CBS News President Tom Cibrowski told Variety. He said O'Donnell, King and Burleson "bring relatability, credibility. experience and knowledge, and they are incredibly familiar to CBS viewers, which is important."

Cibrowski said the show will add more live discussion of the day's news and aims to be "first and foremost, informative and helpful to the core audience that's watching morning television."

In his staff memo, obtained by Deadline and Mediaite, Tower wrote: "This is a homecoming for Norah. As we all know, for seven years, Norah helped lead CBS This Morning alongside Gayle, creating one of the most memorable partnerships in the history of morning news." He closed: "Please join me in welcoming Norah home."

A network source told Mediaite that King was a "full-time partner" in the search for a third co-host, and that O'Donnell's value would show as the show's political coverage ramps up for the midterms. "This move made sense," the source said. "We want our audience to wake up with the very best CBS News has to offer."