Charlie Rose Expands PBS Program to Weekends

Charlie Rose, 71, is adding to his already considerable workload with a second iteration of his long-running eponymous PBS program.

Charlie Rose Weekend will begin airing Fridays at 8:30 p.m. in July, the public broadcaster announced Monday. The half-hour version of his PBS interview program produced out of Thirteen/WNET in New York since 1991, will be a combination of new and re-purposed material.

“PBS is my first broadcast home and I’m excited to embark on a new project that, while distinctly different in nature from Charlie Rose, will build on its history and harness the possibilities of the future by a full use of technology and social media,” said Rose in a statement. “We will offer a fresh look at the people shaping our lives and the questions that demand answers and context. By bringing together top newsmakers each week and engaging the audience in innovative ways, we will invite viewers to start their weekends on Friday with PBS.”

Since early 2012, Rose has co-hosted CBS This Morning with Gayle King. (Norah O’Donnell joined the program last summer.) Rose has had a long association with CBS News’ 60 Minutes and he continues to anchor pieces for the Sunday newsmagazine; most recently an interview with former New York Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin.

VIDEO: Gayle King, Norah O’Donnell and Charlie Rose Pose for THR’s ‘CBS This Morning’ Photoshoot

Executives at CBS News have cast CTM as a hard-news alternative to morning TV fluff jettisoning the weatherman, cooking segments and having its anchors sit at a circular desk instead of the ubiquitous morning-TV couch. With decades of journalism experience, an impressive Rolodex and an enviable range that extends from Hollywood heavyweights to world leaders, Rose has been an integral component of that recasting.

Since its relaunch, the broadcast has inched up, but it is still in third place behind ABC’s Good Morning America and NBC’s Today.

“Bringing Charlie Rose to Friday nights on PBS provides a natural bridge between our Friday evening news and public affairs programming and our arts and culture programming,” added Beth Hoppe, PBS chief programming executive. “In his 20 years with PBS, Charlie has become known for his broad-based curiosity and ability to connect the dots — traits he will also bring to this new show. The show promises to be a fresh, dynamic addition to our Friday night lineup, and we are thrilled to bring Charlie to primetime on PBS.”

Rose’s Friday program will replace Need to Know, the Thirteen-produced news program that has cycled through a succession of hosts and formats since its debut three years ago.

Related Stories

Related Story

THR Toasts Anna Wintour, Kelly Ripa With 35 Most Powerful People in Media Bash