Despite a multi-million-dollar contract which runs through 2011, the Katie Couric era could be over at CBS as soon as next January, reports Rebecca Dana for The Wall Street Journal:
After two years of record-low ratings, both CBS News executives and people close to Katie Couric say that the "CBS Evening News" anchor is likely to leave the network well before her contract expires in 2011 -- possibly soon after the presidential inauguration early next year.Ms. Couric isn't even halfway through her five-year contract with CBS, which began in June 2006 and pays an annual salary of around $15 million. But CBS executives are under pressure to cut costs and improve ratings for the broadcast, which trails rival newscasts on ABC and NBC by wide margins.
Her departure would cap a difficult episode for CBS, which brought Ms. Couric to the network with considerable fanfare in a bid to catapult "Evening News" back into first place. Excluding several weeks of her tenure, Ms. Couric never bested the ratings of interim anchor Bob Schieffer, who was named to host the broadcast temporarily after "Evening News" anchor Dan Rather left the newscast in the wake of a discredited report on George W. Bush's National Guard service.
Read the rest at the link above. Combined with plunging stock prices, low ratings across the board for all its programming, and reports of their negotiating with CNN to provide a news feed, it's beginning to look like CBS' vaunted news division may not survive the loss of credibility suffered through Rather and Mapes' fake "reporting." Even Cutie Pie Katie can't bring the viewers back (duh? This ain't The View, Toots).
Comments (15)
Katie who?... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Imhotep | April 10, 2008 12:46 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Katie who?
1. Posted by Imhotep | April 10, 2008 12:46 AM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on April 10, 2008 00:46
2. Posted by Mike G in Corvallis | April 10, 2008 4:30 AM | Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
... both CBS News executives and people close to Katie Couric say that the "CBS Evening News" anchor is likely to leave the network well before her contract expires in 2011 -- possibly soon after the presidential inauguration early next year --
... to become President Obama's Secretary of State.
2. Posted by Mike G in Corvallis | April 10, 2008 4:30 AM |
Score: 3 (5 votes cast)
Posted on April 10, 2008 04:30
3. Posted by SteveC | April 10, 2008 7:16 AM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Gee, who's the next lib they'll trot out then?
3. Posted by SteveC | April 10, 2008 7:16 AM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on April 10, 2008 07:16
4. Posted by moseby | April 10, 2008 9:06 AM | Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Polly Purebread out on her ass. Gee...CBS went from rearranging the deck chairs to throwin folks overboard...
4. Posted by moseby | April 10, 2008 9:06 AM |
Score: 2 (2 votes cast)
Posted on April 10, 2008 09:06
5. Posted by Jer | April 10, 2008 9:22 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
There is one thing, so I'm told, that cannot be polished. Well, maybe two, now.
5. Posted by Jer | April 10, 2008 9:22 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on April 10, 2008 09:22
6. Posted by Paden Cash | April 10, 2008 9:23 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Nothing bad to say about Katie. I never watched her. I won't be happy until CBS goes out of the news mangling business.
6. Posted by Paden Cash | April 10, 2008 9:23 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on April 10, 2008 09:23
7. Posted by OregonMuse | April 10, 2008 9:24 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
I don't know why they're giving the Perky One the heave-ho for low ratings. Dan Rather consistently sucked ditch water in the ratings, week after week, for over 20 years and he wasn't booted until the fake memo story blew up in his face.
7. Posted by OregonMuse | April 10, 2008 9:24 AM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on April 10, 2008 09:24
8. Posted by COgirl | April 10, 2008 10:25 AM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
I think CBS News is still clueless about what it's going to take to improve their ratings. It's not a pretty face. It's unbiased, fair and balanced coverage of a story.
Too many in the MSM just cover big news stories in a way they think will improve their ratings or sell more papers. But I happen to believe that most Americans are smarter than that. Too bad CBS and the MSM underestimate their audience.
8. Posted by COgirl | April 10, 2008 10:25 AM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on April 10, 2008 10:25
9. Posted by Glenn | April 10, 2008 11:18 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
But she's cute.
9. Posted by Glenn | April 10, 2008 11:18 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on April 10, 2008 11:18
10. Posted by jpm100 | April 10, 2008 12:07 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
The funny thing is, she will blame the failure on America not being ready for a woman anchor and not on the substance of her performance.
I expect the similar reasoning when/if Obama loses.
10. Posted by jpm100 | April 10, 2008 12:07 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on April 10, 2008 12:07
11. Posted by SPQR | April 10, 2008 1:32 PM | Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
In related news, Dan Rather is getting his tail whipped in his suit against CBS.
11. Posted by SPQR | April 10, 2008 1:32 PM |
Score: 1 (1 votes cast)
Posted on April 10, 2008 13:32
12. Posted by PookieJ | April 10, 2008 4:09 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Way too little, way too late.
12. Posted by PookieJ | April 10, 2008 4:09 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on April 10, 2008 16:09
13. Posted by John S | April 10, 2008 6:00 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
It's terrible that we don't watch Katie. It must be our misogynistic attitudes.
13. Posted by John S | April 10, 2008 6:00 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on April 10, 2008 18:00
14. Posted by Gmac | April 10, 2008 7:27 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Can't say as I'll miss her as I never bothered to watch any of her performances.
14. Posted by Gmac | April 10, 2008 7:27 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on April 10, 2008 19:27
15. Posted by TGScott | April 11, 2008 10:53 AM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
My husband enjoyed watching her, but only because she was attractive (hey, he digs Rachel Ray for the same reason and I'm okay with it). Once he saw what a hateful little snit she could be, he admitted that she sucked as an anchor and should be tossed in short order. In his words, "She's not worth however many million they're paying her."
15. Posted by TGScott | April 11, 2008 10:53 AM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on April 11, 2008 10:53