Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer is an American Sunday-morning political interview show which premiered on the CBS television network on November 7, 1954. It is one of the longest-running news programs in the history of television. At 30 minutes (approximately 21½ without commercials), Face the Nation was the shortest of the Sunday talk shows and the only half-hour Sunday morning talk show on the four major broadcast networks. It expanded to 60 minutes for a preliminary period of twenty weeks in April 2012, and was permanently extended to 60 minutes long on July 29, 2012. The show airs live at 10:30 am Eastern, though most CBS affiliates in the Pacific Time Zone air it at 8:30 am local time.
Each Sunday, the moderator interviews newsmakers on the latest issues and delivers a short topical commentary at the end of the broadcast. The program generally broadcasts from Washington, D.C. Guests include government leaders, politicians, and international figures in the news. CBS News correspondents and other contributors engage the guests in a roundtable discussion focusing on current topics. The program broadcasts on CBS, usually at 10:30 AM ET, right after CBS News Sunday Morning. Local affiliates are free to air the show at the time of their choosing, usually before noon local time. The show is also broadcast on a delay on a handful of radio affiliates through the CBS Radio Network.
Face the Nation began broadcasting in high definition in July 2011, the last Sunday-morning talk show to do so, leaving only CBS's overnight Up to the Minute as the only American news program on the four major networks and three cable news channels not to convert to the format.
Face the Nation expanded to one hour on April 1, 2012 in most of the country. Approximately 64% of CBS affiliates air the second half hour contiguously with the first half hour, while the others do not air the second half hour at all or air it on a delayed basis, because of station commitments to other local or syndicated programming such as religious programs, local pre-game programming leading into CBS's The NFL Today or college coaches shows, or already sold infomercials. Most radio stations only air the first half hour.
On July 29, 2012, CBS News announced the program will stick with its hour length beyond its provisional expansion that began in April.