When Zahn took over as co-host of CBS This Morning, most attention was on Deborah Norville, who at the time famously replaced Jane Pauley on NBC's Today show in 1989. After contract negotiations failed between NBC and Pauley, Norville replaced the popular host, fueling rumors of a feud between the two women (via The Washington Post).

At the time, Zahn said she had "strong personal reactions to the situation" and she felt sorry for the other journalists. "When the story broke, I was very insulted," Zahn told the Los Angeles Times. "It was very belittling to women. Jane Pauley is a woman who was on that show for 13 years and certainly earned her stripes. Deborah Norville was not a newcomer to the news business. She's proven herself. But suddenly it was construed as a catfight." 

"It certainly is not the way you treat a veteran of a broadcast that had been No. 1," Zahn added. "And if you're bringing some great new hope aboard, you have to give them some kind of protection."