You wouldn’t think that actor Alec Baldwin and his yoga-icon wife, Hilaria, and the Beltway power couple of Mary Matalin and James Carville, would be a ratings win.
But they were all profiled on the Jan. 5 edition of TV’s “CBS Sunday Morning.”
What’s noteworthy is that the venerable show, which marks its 35th anniversary later this month, generated that day 6.5 million viewers, its biggest audience since Jan. 23, 1994.
One major reason that “CBS Sunday Morning” flourishes is its expansive 90-minute format.
While other news shows have a mere half-hour or an hour to present their content, this program has a “luxury of time” for rich storytelling, Rand Morrison, the executive producer of “CBS Sunday Morning,” says.
The show’s reporters can go into more depth and tell their stories in unhurried blocks of about 8 to 12 minutes.
A typical show will have 10 to 12 segments of varying lengths.
“ ‘Sunday Morning’ is one of the most underrated shows on television. It’s targeted for feature stories, which makes it perfect for watching at a leisurely time like a Sunday morning,” says Brad Adgate, the research director of Horizon Media.
Among media buyers, “the show’s appeal is focused on the content. There is no other show like this on Sunday mornings,” Adgate said.
“Because of how unique it is, there is very little competition at that time. Viewers can always find a segment that appeals to them, whether it is about politics or music or nature or history or Americana. Since its audience skews older, it can appeal to luxury brands. The show reaches people who have a lot of disposable income,” Adgate said.
“The host, Charles Osgood, is just like his predecessor, Charles Kuralt. Viewers feel very comfortable with him,” Adgate pointed.
Sums up Morrison: “You never know what’s coming up next, what interesting story will keep you from walking out the door sooner or going into the kitchen to get another cup of coffee. We strive to show an ‘I-didn’t-know-that moment’ in our stories.”