Jim Axelrod Is Busy Saturdays

CBS News chief White House correspondent Jim Axelrod will co-anchor The Saturday Early Show with Tracy Smith for three weekends, beginning Saturday, Jan. 13 (check local listings).

Original co-anchor Russ Mitchell, who moves to the weekday broadcast as news anchor beginning Jan. 8, in addition to his other CBS News duties, will mark his final Saturday broadcast this weekend, Jan. 6. Mitchell has co-anchored the program since its inception in August 1997 when it was called "CBS News Saturday Morning." His original co-anchor was Susan Molinari.

Smith has served as co-anchor since August 2005.

"With the president's speech on Iraq and the State of the Union coming up, it's the perfect time for Jim to sit in," said Steve Friedman, vice president, morning broadcasts, CBS News. "I'm anxious to see Jim in the anchor role with Tracy."

Michael Bass is senior executive producer of The Saturday Early Show. Michael Rosen is the senior producer.