There are so many new faces at The Early Show that everyone should be wearing name tags, suggests one insider who's been witness to the super-negativity at the CBS morning program. So many new faces, and not one to recognize.

But at least the A.M. troops have a new leader: Zev Shalev was named interim executive producer, as Jossip was the first to tell you. Now word arrives that CBS brass want to install him as the permanent head, if only to save face amidst a crumbling operation. And while Shalev has been described to us as a decent guy and a robust resume, he's also said to be clueless about how to run things.

As we also told you, in naming Shalev to the EP slot, The Early Show also lost Shelley Ross hire and "mean girl" Laurye Blackford, who quit in protest. Her last day was Thursday. Her slot could be filled by Today's Betsy Alexander, who was brought in to help out with sweeps week, but is still around and is expected to take reigns of Early's second hour.

Meanwhile, those who are still on staff have another reason to groan:

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With Rick Kaplan gone from The Early Show, and Zev Shalev stepping in, surely everything at the CBS morning show is about to be peaches and cream, right?

You're silly.

Early this week, we told you senior producer Laurye Blackford, a Shelley Ross "mean girl" hire, announced she was quitting. Now we're told she's staying on for a little, but that she'd like be gone in the next two weeks. Yesterday, she finally confirmed to producer colleagues that the rumors she was leaving are true.

But – and there's always a but – Barbara Fedida, CBS's talent/development VP, didn't accept her terms. Those two are supposed to meet by the end of the week to agree on a final date.

As for David Shenfeld, the senior producer who just stopped showing up for work? He hasn't been in the office for three weeks, we're told, and staffers haven't been told whether he is or isn't returning. Perhaps they might be tipped off by the fact that somebody else has already moved into his office, and swapped nameplates on the door?

And then there's this beautiful tidbit of nepotism:

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Regarding today's The Early Show item, where Rick Kaplan's famous temper was matched by anecdote, commenter Melissa Weisberg, of CBS, responds:

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It wouldn't be fair to let Katie Couric have all the drama at CBS this week, so why don't we revisit The Early Show, a place that one spy says simply: "The Titanic is out of deck chairs."

Might the Shelley Ross regime have been better than the current Rick Kaplan affair? The argument is being made.

This week, Claire Peterson, described to us as "one of the strongest" producers and bookers, told Early Show interim exec producer Rick Kaplan that she had an offer from another network, and planned on accepting. (We're told the offer came from ABC's Nightline.)

He didn't give her much of a response. The night she told CBS brass of the job switch, she worked a full day and stayed through the night. Then, at 5:30am, she was awoke by a call from Kaplan, who was phoning from the control room to say he would match the offer she received and pay $5,000 more to keep her.

Yesterday, she and Kaplan finally sat down together, and she declined the offer. That didn't sit well with Kaplan, who is known for his temper. Let's just say he got "very nasty and abusive" …

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CBS has named Maggie Rodriguez co-anchor of the Early Show. She joins Harry Smith (a white guy) and Julie Chen (an Asian woman).

While Americans like their evening news from old, white men, they appreciate diversity in the morning. The Today Show features a black guy and a half Asian woman; Good Morning America has a gay guy (Sam Champion, duh) and a black woman.

Congratulations on the new gig, Maggie. But the sad truth is that CBS could feature a live sex show every morning, and The Today Show would maintain its streak at number one.

• Whoever is doing Keith Olbermann’s make-up and teeth whitening, please stop.

• The White House press correspondents are annoyed that the President keeps arranging his “surprise” photo-ops at the last minute.

• Halle Berry is either chubby or pregnant. Underneath all that fat is a baby.

• CBS remains desperate for a top ranked news show; taps Good Morning America’s Shelley Ross to produce the Early Show.

• Larry Craig’s kids would never go all Republican Party on their dad.

• BTdub, there is a giant hole in Union Square.

When we're not talking about Charlie Gibson creeping up on Brian Williams, our other favorite television industry topic – besides guessing where NY1's Roger Clark will show up next – has to be the ratings race among the morning shows. Today, Television Week's Michele Greppi has us make a fist as she slides the needle of executive quotables into our elbow crease.

• "The fact that we haven't lost a viewer since last year to me is very promising." — Good Morning America senior executive producer Jim Murphy
• "We are getting viewers the Today show is losing" — CBS morning programming VP Steve Friedman

And then there's NBC.

• "We still have our gap intact." —Today show exec producer Jim Bell

That's so funny, 'cause NBC Nightly News producer John Reiss was just telling us the same thing. And then.

Exclusive

Lisa Sharkey once held an enviable dayjob at Good Morning America, where she played senior producer (and professional faster … 82 days!). That was until her bosses discovered she was using her business card's pedigree to do some Star Jonesing: snag free products, services, and tickets from anyone looking for a chance to get booked on GMA.

She was, as they say, dismissed.

Following her ouster, Sharkey landed, in July 2005, at Al Roker Productions, the producing arm of the Today show weatherman that spits out programming for the Food Network and Court TV.

Only thing: She carried her trademark swag grabbing over to Roker's biz. And, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter, "Roker didn't like hearing back from folks that Sharkey was threatening to withhold business unless they gave her stuff." So what did the weatherman do? He fired her, natch. That was at the end of last year.

Now we hear Sharkey (pictured at right, with TV producer Rebecca Shalam) is trying to get back into the morning show game, putting out feelers to anyone who will take her calls — and, she's hoping, doesn't know her reputation. Except she already burned her bridges at ABC with her GMA stint, and Roker's strong ties with NBC means the door is shut there, too, says our source.

So what's left? The Early Show on CBS, the daddy of Sharkey's old haunt, KCBS, where she landed her first job before ending up at Inside Edition.

We're told she's "in talks" with CBS about possible employment, but so far it's unclear whether exec producer Michael Bass knows Sharkey is the Winona Ryder of morning TV. That might not go over well with HR.

Image via NYSD

May we pause for a second to ponder what the hell is going on with media personalities who have the cushiest of gigs up and leaving? Sure, ex-CNN anchor Daryn Kagan didn't have much of a choice — the news network didn't renew her contract. But with Atoosa Rubenstein topping the list of high profile exits, we now turn our attention to CBS' Rene Syler, the Early Show host who's leaving just before Christmas to "pursue other media opportunities." Like a book. And if she's like any of the others, she'll probably start blogging right about now, too.