NEW YORK -- Kathleen Sullivan, who has been guest hosting ABC's 'Good Morning America' while Joan Lunden was on maternity leave, was signed away by CBS News Wednesday to host the new version of 'The Morning Program.'
CBS News President Howard Stringer signed Sullivan away from ABC two days after CBS told its affiliates it was canceling the low-rated breakfast show, 'The Morning Program,' and returning the time slot to the news division.
'Kathleen Sullivan is a proven morning talent with intelligence, sparkle and kinetic energy,' Stringer said. 'She will be the cornerstone of a contemporary new broadcast.'
To lure her away from ABC, Stringer reportedly offered Sullivan the opportunity to be one of the substitute anchors for 'CBS Evening News' with Dan Rather. Although ABC President Roone Arledge wanted to keep Sullivan, ABC could not offer her the same visibility and was unwilling to make her the official co-host of 'Good Morning America' even though it appears this is Lunden's last .
Lunden announced last month she would be hosting a syndicated show for Paramount Pictures and it is unlikely she can do both jobs.
Sullivan joined ABC in 1982 and has covered the 1984 Democratic National Convention in San Francisco and the 1985 Economic Summit in West Germany. She was also the first woman to anchor American TV coverage of the Olympics at the Winter Games in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia.
She also has played a key role in the development of three ABC News programs: 'The Health Show,' 'World News Saturday' and 'World News This Morning.'
Prior to joining ABC, Sullivan was a principal anchor of CNN's 'Prime News' from March 1980 to June 1982. Earlier, she was anchor and general assignment reporter for KTVX-TV in Salt Lake City. She began her broadcasting career in 1977 at KNXT-TV (now KCBS), the CBS-owned station in Los Angeles.
Her appointment is the first move by CBS News to launch a new morning program to replace 'The Morning Program.'
CBS launched 'The Morning Program' Jan. 12 as a fluffy alternative to NBC's No. 1 rated 'Today' show and ABC's 'Good Morning America.' Since 1954, CBS has tried a variety of anchors and formats - 18 different shows -- to challenge the other two networks without success. Some of those anchors included Charles Kuralt, Diane Sawyer, Hughes Rudd and even Phyllis George.
The airy program, which featured a video dating service, stand-up comics, a dog and a live audience when it premiered, was hosted by actress Mariette Hartley and New York newscaster Rolland Smith and produced by Bob Shanks, the man credited with making ABC's 'Good Morning America' the No. 1 show in the morning.
None of them will be back.
In announcing the cancellation Monday, CBS Television Network President Tom Leahy said in a statement that it was 'abundantly clear that viewing habits in the 7-9 a.m. time period are too well established for such an alternative format to succeed.'
The new program, under the control of CBS News, debuts Nov. 30.
While canceling the show, CBS did say it believes 'The Morning Program' can 'evolve into a more conventional format that retains its current successful elements, while moving it closer to the competitive mainstream for this daypart -- which includes the recognition that news and information are critical elements.'
Washington-based correspondent Bob Schieffer, former alumnus of the 'CBS Morning News' (1979-80), was one of several names being mentioned as co-anchor with Sullivan.
