As first reported by The New York Post, “CBS Saturday Morning” is preparing for one of the most uncertain broadcasts in its 28-year run. The long-standing weekend program will air its final episode with co-hosts Michelle Miller and Dana Jacobson this Saturday—yet, in a move baffling even veteran newsroom insiders, no permanent replacements have been revealed to staff.
For a network that airs millions of waking-up Americans across time zones every weekend, silence at the top has created what one insider described as a “vacuum of vision.” With CBS still navigating the aftershocks of widespread layoffs and significant restructuring, the lack of clarity has left many staffers holding their breath.
According to The Post, the departure of Miller and Jacobson—along with executive producer Brian Applegate—was part of a sweeping first round of layoffs orchestrated by CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss and network president Tom Cibrowski. The network has publicly declined to comment, but internally, whispers of “more cuts coming” echo louder than ever.
A Temporary Host Steps In — But Long-Term Leadership Remains Uncertain
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Insiders say the network does have a plan—but upper leadership is choosing to release it “at a later date.” While this cryptic approach has become somewhat routine during the ongoing corporate shake-ups, staffers admit that this particular moment feels more precarious than usual.
For now, Adriana Diaz, known for co-hosting the recently canceled “CBS Mornings Plus,” will temporarily fill the hosting seat on November 29. Sources noted Diaz was approached for the full-time role but does not appear committed to accepting it. That leaves the show, at least temporarily, in the hands of a rotating lineup of fill-ins—something rare for a national morning program with such established roots.
A Carousel of Potential Hosts — But No Firm Direction Yet
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Names circulating among CBS insiders include Elaine Quijano, Errol Barnett, Kelly O’Grady, Jericka Duncan, and Diaz herself. While all are respected journalists with on-air experience, none has been officially confirmed—adding to the sense that CBS is bracing for yet another transitional chapter.
All this arrives as CBS News prepares for a looming second round of major cuts, widely expected to affect on-air talent, leadership, and support staff. Some departures may be framed as retirements, but inside the halls of the network, few are buying the euphemisms.
A Tumultuous Season for CBS News
The first round of corporate slashes eliminated roughly 100 jobs at CBS News alone, part of a larger wave of about 1,000 layoffs at its parent company, Paramount Skydance. Notable names exiting the network include “CBS Evening News” anchor John Dickerson, correspondents Janet Shamlian, Nancy Chen, Nikki Battiste, contributor Lisa Ling, and foreign correspondent Debora Patta—the latter reportedly exploring legal action over her exit.
As if the dust hadn’t settled, Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison announced yet another wave of approximately 1,600 job cuts earlier this month. Specific numbers for CBS News remain unclear, but employees describe an atmosphere where “everyone is waiting to exhale.”
The Bigger Picture — Why This Moment Hits Differently for U.S. Viewers
To American viewers who grew up with weekend morning TV as a comforting ritual, the instability at a major broadcast network hits differently. “CBS Saturday Morning” has long served as a familiar weekend presence—less frantic than weekday news, more thoughtful than pure entertainment. Its combination of culture, features, and journalism carved out a niche that other networks often struggled to match.
So the idea of the show entering a new era without a named host, without a clear direction, and without its longtime team feels symbolic of something bigger: the tension between legacy television and a rapidly shifting digital media world.
A Unique Angle: Could This Be the Start of a New Morning-TV Era Led by Viewers, Not Networks?
Here’s the twist nobody is talking about: this period of uncertainty might be signaling a major shift in how morning shows are shaped. Historically, networks decided the talent lineup, the tone, the pacing—and audiences adapted. But in today’s digital-first ecosystem, viewer expectations increasingly lead the conversation. The rise of TikTok news explainers, YouTube morning recaps, and personality-driven livestreams means audience loyalty now follows individuals, not institutions.
If CBS embraces that reality, “CBS Saturday Morning” could end up being an early test case—a show rebuilt not around a legacy format, but around data-driven insights into what U.S. audiences actually want from weekend news in 2025 and beyond.
And maybe, just maybe, this uncertain moment is less an ending and more a rare opportunity for reinvention.
