“CBS This Morning” received a bump in ratings after rearranging some of the network’s top anchors including Gayle King and Norah O’Donnell.
For the week ending on May 20 the ratings saw a small increase, according to new data from Nielsen the New York Post reported Thursday. The week with King as the head anchor drew a total of 3.1 million viewers, up from the previous week of 3 million.
Gayle King (L) and honoree Norah O’Donnell attend the 2019 Matrix Awards at the Sheraton New York Times Square on May 06, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images)
The new trio of anchors, which includes Anthony Mason and Tony Dokoupil, reportedly drew in more viewers in the 25-54-year-old age group compared to the week before when O’Donnell and John Dickerson were still anchoring the show.
“CBS This Morning” drew a total of 749,000 viewers in the 25-54 demographic, up from 760,000 the week before. (RELATED: Gayle King Reportedly Set To Replace Norah O’Donnell On ‘CBS This Morning)
O’Donnell has taken over Jeff Glor’s role on “CBS Evening” and Dickerson moved to “60 Minutes.”
Two-time defending Masters Champion Bubba Watson and defending Drive, Chip & Putt National Champion, 10-year old Kelly Xu pose with Norah O’Donnell (L) and Gayle King (R) after their appearance on CBS This Morning at the CBS Broadcast Center on March 24, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images for the DC&P Championship)
Besides the ratings bump, “CBS This Morning” still trails behind ABC’s “Good Morning America” and NBC’s “Today” show. ABC drew a total of 4 million total viewers for the week ending May 20, while NBC drew in 3.9 million total viewers.
Shortly before King’s role was solidified, reports surfaced that the trio of anchors had a bad relationship on the morning show.
“Norah is toxic,” an insider told Page Six at the time.
King reportedly demanded O’Donnell be removed from the show during her contract negotiation. Despite the rumors, O’Donnell still received the roles she had been vying for.