‘Face the Nation’ Not on Today, CBS Airing The Masters Instead

CBS’ Face the Nation will not be on this weekend, making room for The 84th Masters Tournament. The official Face the Nation Twitter account announced the scheduling change early on Sunday morning, explaining that the show will take this week off entirely and return next Sunday instead. Many fans were disappointed, counting on the show’s commentary amid the coronavirus pandemic and the 2020 presidential election results.

The Masters golf tournament wraps up on Sunday after a tense week of play, and it will pre-empt Face the Nation to do so. The weekly news show typically begins at 10:30 a.m. ET on CBS examines the latest in politics and public affairs from a more macroscopic position than other daily news shows tend to. Considering President Donald Trump’s ongoing denial of the 2020 presidential election results, the rise in COVID-19 cases and other national stories, many viewers were disappointed to miss out on the insight this week.

“Why in the world would you air golf instead of the news program. Makes no sense at all,” one person commented. Another wrote: “Worst week to air golf instead. Actually, why air golf at all. My Sunday morning ritual has been broken. I’m broken.”

Face the Nation is one of the longest-running news programs in TV history, going all the way back to 1954 when it was first created. It often features more analytical discourse of the week’s top stories, with input from journalists, politicians, authors and public officials.

The show was notable for its high-profile guest, including an interview with Wisconsin Sen. Joseph McCarthy in its very first episode. It is also an important staple in the world of journalists, having helped launch the career of CBS’ Lesley Stahl — the first female host of the program. Stahl handed the program over to Bob Schieffer in 1991, and Shieffer retired in 2015. Margaret Brennan now hosts the show.

Face the Nation has hosted some key interviews with Trump administration officials over the last four years, including Rex Tillerson, Trey Gowdy and Vice President Mike Pence. Right now, many Americans are desperate for more explanation on why the Trump administration is refuting the results of the 2020 election with no evidence, but they will not get answers from an interview with Brennan. Face the Nation returns on Sunday, Nov. 22 at 10:30 p.m. ET. Disclosure: PopCulture is owned by CBS Interactive, a division of ViacomCBS.