History of Face the Nation in Timeline

By Popular Timelines Editorial Team · Updated: March 29, 2026

Face the Nation is a long-running weekly news and public affairs program broadcast on CBS. Created in 1954 by Frank Stanton, it is one of the longest-running news programs in television history. The show airs every Sunday and features interviews with prominent figures in politics, current events, and other areas of public interest.

November 7, 1954: Premiere of Face the Nation

Face the Nation premiered on November 7, 1954, with Bill Shadel as host and Senator Joseph McCarthy as the guest.

1954: Creation of Face the Nation

In 1954, Frank Stanton created Face the Nation, a weekly news and public affairs program on CBS.

1991: Bob Schieffer takes over as moderator

In 1991, Bob Schieffer replaced Lesley Stahl as the moderator of Face the Nation, leading to increased ratings and the program's expansion to a full hour.

1992: Score Productions

In 1992, Score Productions took over production responsibilities for Face the Nation.

2002: Peter Fish takes over

In 2002, Peter Fish took over production responsibilities for Face the Nation from Score Productions.

July 2011: Face the Nation broadcasts in high definition

In July 2011, Face the Nation began broadcasting in high definition.

December 2011: Face the Nation expands to a full hour

In December 2011, Face the Nation permanently extended its broadcast to a full hour.

April 2012: Face the Nation extends to 60 minutes for a trial period

In April 2012, Face the Nation expanded to 60 minutes for a preliminary 20-week period.

July 29, 2012: Face the Nation Permanently Extends to 60 Minutes

On July 29, 2012, Face the Nation was permanently extended to a 60-minute broadcast.

November 2012: Up to the Minute Converted to HD

In late November 2012, CBS' overnight news program Up to the Minute converted to HD.

2012: Stations Airing Second Half-Hour of Face the Nation

In 2012, 64% of stations affiliated with CBS aired the second half-hour of Face the Nation contiguously with the first.

June 7, 2015: John Dickerson replaces Bob Schieffer

On June 7, 2015, John Dickerson replaced Bob Schieffer as the moderator of Face the Nation after Schieffer's retirement.

2017: Increased Stations Airing Full Hour

By 2017, the number of stations carrying the full hour of Face the Nation in pattern had increased due to the end of former programming commitments.

2017: Face the Nation's audience size

In 2017, Face the Nation had the largest audience of all Sunday public affairs programs, with an average of 3.538 million viewers.

February 2018: Margaret Brennan Hosts Face the Nation

Margaret Brennan started hosting Face the Nation in February 2018.

February 22, 2018: Margaret Brennan announced as new host

On February 22, 2018, CBS announced that Margaret Brennan would replace John Dickerson as the new host of Face the Nation.

2018: Peter Fish's last year

2018 marks the last year Peter Fish was involved in production for Face the Nation.

2018: Margaret Brennan becomes moderator

In 2018, Margaret Brennan became the moderator of Face the Nation.

2018: Competition with Meet the Press

In 2018, NBC's Meet the Press competed closely with Face the Nation for viewership, surpassing it for several months.

2018: CBS News digital streaming network re-airs Face the Nation

In 2018, the CBS News digital streaming network began re-airing the full hour of Face the Nation at 11:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m., and 6:00 p.m. Eastern Time.