TV Q&A: Morning habits change slowly

By ROB OWEN, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

June 3, 2012 at 11:08PM
In this image released by CBS, from left, Charlie Rose, Gayle King and Erica Hill of "CBS This Morning" are shown during the premiere broadcast on Monday, Jan. 9, 2012, in New York.
Charlie Rose, Gayle King and Erica Hill of "CBS This Morning." (Associated Press - Ap/The Minnesota Star Tribune)

Q What are the ratings like for "CBS This Morning"? I asked this same question about a month after it premiered. I feel as if the show has gotten even better. Charlie, Erica and Gayle seem to have great chemistry together. Gayle King has grown on me. I did not like her at first, but she's toned down her "inner-Kathie Lee Gifford." Have your views on the show changed, as well?

Also, what are the ratings like for the "CBS Evening News With Scott Pelley" vs. "NBC Nightly News With Brian Williams" and "ABC World News With Diane Sawyer"?

A CBS sent out a press release touting an 11 percent rise in women viewers 25 to 54 last month for "CBS This Morning." Just as quickly, the Hollywood Reporter had a story about overall ratings being down 9 percent from "The Early Show."

Early-morning viewing habits change slowly, so it's not surprising that a new CBS morning show hasn't yet set the world on fire. It remains my choice from 6 to 6:30 a.m.

On the other hand, CBS' "Evening News" ratings are up, while NBC and ABC are down year-to-year for a week in April, according to TVNewser. But that's just a snapshot, nothing predictive of long-term viewing trends.

'Storage Wars' auctions are real

Q On "Storage Wars," I've noticed that despite having lots of bidders, only the main characters of the show win the bid. Are the other people who bid just for the show or actual real bidders? Also, do the main characters get paid for being on the show?

A According to an A&E publicist, the auctions are public so anyone can go and bid.

"There are many auctions that the cast attends that you don't see on camera that other people in attendance at the auctions win," she said.

Basically, what you see on TV are the auctions that go the way of the stars of "Storage Wars," so they have stories to tell. This is just one way that reality TV and scripted TV are more alike than they are different.

TV Land isn't stuck on 'M*A*S*H'

Q TV Land is a great concept. But why is there no programming? It runs an endless loop of "M*A*S*H" episodes, and little to nothing else.

A A quick check of the TV Land schedule shows the cable network airing "Leave It to Beaver," "The Dick Van Dyke Show," "The Andy Griffith Show," "Gunsmoke" and "Bonanza" in a nine-hour period -- and "M*A*S*H," too. Perhaps you just happened upon a "M*A*S*H" marathon one day?

Send TV questions -- including name, age, city and state -- to owenr@shns.com.

about the writer

about the writer

ROB OWEN, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette