Kangaroo Court

CBS, the so-called Tiffany network, is at it again, trying to revamp its morning news program in an attempt to draw in viewers who clearly prefer "Today." Noted new face Jane Clayson is gone, and the likable but bland Harry Smith is back with not one, not two, but three - count'em, three - female cohosts. Apparently this is in exercise in media diversity; the three lovely lasses are Hannah Storm (late of NBC Sports), Rene Syler, a black newscaster I've never heard of, and the Asian-American Julie Chen, who's best known for her "Survivor" reports. Now if they'd take the once-respected Hispanic hard-news reporter turned celebrity interviewer Giselle Fernandez out of cold storage and add her to the roster, the multicultural format would be perfect. (Harry Smith, apparently, is the clueless white male.)

This is, by my count, the fifth format change for CBS's morning news program since it replaced "Captain Kangaroo" in the early eighties, when the commitment to quality commercial children's television was deregulated out of existence by the FCC. The Columbia Broadcasting System apparently thought it could bring more advertising dollars with a morning news program of its own, but it, er, hasn't quite worked out like that. This latest revamping is a pathetic attempt at ethnic pandering that will ultimately fail, just as previous redos for the show have failed. CBS, frankly, has no business doing a morning news show of any kind, as its early try with Walter Cronkite and a puppet proved back in the fifties; its news division is too esteemed to bother with such froth.

Solution: Pull the plug on this kangaroo court and bring back "Captain Kangaroo!" I watched Bob Keeshan, the Captain himself, in the early seventies, and the program was perhaps the most entertaining show of my childhood (although Paul Tripp's "The Birthday House" was very close). Bob Keeshan is still alive and kicking, he believes in quality children's televsion, and I'm sure he'd be happy to return if given the chance. Stop the madness -bring back "Captain Kangaroo" NOW!!!