‘CBS Sunday Morning’ Staff Offer Behind-the-Scenes Look at Venerable Show

By Variety Staff

LOS ANGELES (Variety.com) – Producers and correspondents for the venerable “CBS Sunday Morning” took some time Thursday night at the Paley Center for Media to explain how the program comes together each week.

Martha Teichner, David Pogue, Nancy Giles and Conor Knighton took to the Paley stage along with producer Jay Kernis and executive producer Rand Morrison (above, pictured). They were joined by correspondent Mo Rocca, who used a mobile connection from what appeared to be a Washington, D.C. locale to beam his thoughts to the audience. “‘Sunday Morning’ is the kind of place where you can do something on someone who isn’t super famous but is super interesting,” he said.

Rocca said he is often approached by loyal viewers who tell him the program “is church for us” because of its attention to subjects that often don’t get coverage on cable-news networks or evening newscasts.

The show has largely stayed true to its original format, but gets updated once in a while, Morrison explained. “We are more mindful of popular culture” including pop music and comedy, he said. “We’ve mixed it up more than anything else.”

But “Sunday Morning” doesn’t need to focus overmuch on politics, Morrison explained – even in the current era. “It’s nice to be an island of peace and calm in a very turbulent world,” he said, acknowledging that people who have a craving for politics “might go to ‘Meet the Press.’”

One of the biggest challenges Morrison faces is correspondents who want more time for their reports. ” I never feel good about telling a correspondent they can’t have more time, and I never feel good about holding a story,” he told the crowd.