Gumbel Rumblings

11/26/1998 at 12:00 AM EST

As it struggles against a.m. TV champs "Today" and "Good Morning America," CBS's "The Early Show" has dumped four news veterans this week. The shake-up comes as the show, hosted by Bryant Gumbel and Jane Clayson, continues to linger in the ratings basement. Since hitting the air with a $30 million launch on Nov. 1, "The Early Show" has failed to make a dent in the stranglehold that NBC's "Today" has on the morning audience. Nor has it had any impact on ABC's "GMA." In fact, "The Early Show" has often scored lower in the ratings than its predecessor, "CBS News This Morning." Of the bloodlettings, the show's executive producer Steve Friedman told the New York Post: "There are staff changes all the time. That's how these things evolve."