The Ross Effect? CBS Touts Gains for The Early Show

Today, roughly three weeks after re-launching under new hyper-competitive EP Shelley Ross, CBS’s (perennially last place) The Early Show is touting some improved numbers over last year.

According to today’s press release, for the week of Jan. 21, The Early Show has posted a 30 percent increase in adults 25-54 versus the same week last year. Also up in the same stretch: households (by 4 percent), total viewers (by 9 percent), and women 25-54 (by 25 percent).

While CBS would, no doubt, like to attribute the increase in numbers primarily to The Early Show’s “new format, studio, music and graphics” and to newcomers, including Ms. Ross and anchor Maggie Rodriguez, the Media Mob guess-timates that there might be other factors involved as well.

For one thing, we keep hearing rumors of some sort of national election going on, which we suppose, could drive up interest in morning news programs (what happened at the debate last night?) this year vs. 2007.

Or maybe it really is the catchy new music. Hard to say.