"CBS This Morning" co-anchor Charlie Rose is scheduled to undergo heart valve replacement surgery on Thursday, keeping him off the air for at least several weeks.
Rose's upcoming procedure was announced on the program Wednesday. He said expects to return in March. In a statement, he noted that his aorta valve had been replaced 15 years ago.
"To continue to live this amazing life so full of challenges and friends, including so many of you in the audience, I have chosen to replace the valve with a new one," he said. "The timing is my choice."
Rose, 75, has been co-anchor of "CBS This Morning" since 2012, alongside Norah O'Donnell and Gayle King. The program has steadily gained viewers in recent years, giving the network its most competitive ratings in morning television in nearly 30 years.
"I talked to him last night and he is optimistic about this tune-up," O'Donnell told viewers after the announcement.
"CBS This Morning Saturday" co-anchor Anthony Mason and Josh Elliott, lead anchor of the digital news channel CBSN, will be among those who fill in during Rose's recovery.
Rose is also the host of an eponymous nightly talk show that airs on PBS and Bloomberg Television.
