Charles Osgood said he would step down from his anchoring duties at CBS’ venerable “Sunday Morning,” bringing a 22-year run on that program to an end. His final broadcast is set to take place on Sunday, September 25.
“For years now people — even friends and family — have been asking me why I keep doing this considering my age. I am pushing 84. It’s just that it’s been such a joy doing it!” Osgood said during today’s broadcast of the show. “Who wouldn’t want to be the one who gets to introduce these terrific storytellers and the producers and writers and others who put this wonderful show together. I want to thank all of them and all of you in our still-growing audience for your support and encouragement. It’s been a great run, but after nearly 50 years at CBS, including the last 22 years here on ‘Sunday Morning,’ the time has come.”
Speculation about Osgood’s tenure on the program has swirled since early this year when he took a few weeks off to deal with knee-replacement surgery. Indeed, the anchor and CBS are believed to have been in talks for weeks about orchestrating a transition.
Jane Pauley, who joined “CBS Sunday Morning” as a contributor in 2014, has been viewed for months as a leading candidate to take over hosting duties for the show.
CBS has reason to consider any transition carefully. “CBS This Morning” provides a lead-in to “Face The Nation,” the Sunday-morning public-affairs program that is the network news unit’s entry in the ongoing TV-news battle to win the attention of senior government officials and influencers.
Osgood, long considered one of the TV-news business’ brightest writers, has anchored the program since 1994, when he took the reins of the 90-minute program from its original host, Charles Kuralt.
He joined CBS News in 1971 and has been an anchor and reporter for every broadcast on the network, including the “CBS Morning News,” the “CBS Evening News With Dan Rather” and the “CBS Sunday Night News.” He also anchors and writes “The Osgood File,” his daily news commentaries broadcast on the CBS Radio Network. His voice is so distinctive that he served as the narrator of Dr. Seuss’ “Horton Hears a Who,” the animated feature film adaptation of the beloved children’s book.
He is expected to continue his daily news commentaries broadcast on the CBS Radio Network, and to make occasional appearances on “Sunday Morning.”
