TV Week: Couric a Blink Away From Landmark Gig (as CBS News anchor)

[DeepModem Mom]

Couric a Blink Away From Landmark Gig
'Today' Host's Move to Eye Net Puts Rival NBC in Talent Bind
By Michele Greppi

Katie Couric's deal to move to CBS News is completed in principle, and an announcement that she is leaving NBC might come as early as this week.

That's the quiet buzz among sources familiar with assorted moving parts connected to the deal to transform Ms. Couric from co-anchor of the No. 1 morning show "Today" to anchor of the third-place-but-growing "CBS Evening News." In taking on the CBS job, Ms. Couric would be the first female to serve as sole anchor of a network flagship newscast.

The first announcement should be that Ms. Couric is leaving the Peacock Network and the viewers who have spent their mornings with Ms. Couric for 15 years.

The official announcement of CBS's dream come true-landing Ms. Couric as its evening star- would follow, perhaps next week. Ms. Couric's personal publicist, Matthew Hiltzik of Freud Communications, declined to comment to TelevisionWeek last week, as did representatives of NBC News and CBS News....Bob Schieffer ascended to the "Evening News" anchor desk 13 months ago, when Dan Rather stepped down as a casualty of a flawed story about President Bush's Vietnam-era Texas Air National Guard Service. Mr. Schieffer knew the "Evening News" assignment was temporary. Mr. Schieffer has publicly supported the quest by CBS Corp. CEO Leslie Moonves and CBS News and Sports President Sean McManus to woo Ms. Couric to CBS News. The newscast has won 740,000 new viewers in the last year, according to Nielsen Media Research.

***

(M) uch money rides on CBS's gamble that Ms. Couric can successfully make the leap from TV best friend to TV navigator of weighty news stories. But "Evening News" is not CBS News' cash cow. That distinction has been long held by "60 Minutes," the most successful prime-time newsmagazine ever on TV....

http://www.tvweek.com/news.cms?newsId=9678

[aquart]

1. Okay, so I stop watching CBS.

[Gabi Hayes]

3. there's always Brian "Free Republic" Williams

http://www.rightwinged.com/2006/02/nbcs_brian_williams_apologizes.html

[Newsjock]

2. "Navy SEALs rock!"

Let that video be seen far and wide. Let the country know what is now considered "journalism." Let the journalists among us hang our heads in shame.

[Jigarotta]

6. I thought GI Jane kinda rocked.

also think Katie has rocks in her head.

[BlooInBloo]

4. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE NBC get Lara Logan to replace her!!!

That would be the ultimate smackdown for the idiot Couric and CBS.

http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/03/26.html#a7669

[Canuckistanian]

5. There's a lot of things I'd call Katie Couric, but...

"Talent" isn't one of them.

[derby378]

7. Sounds like someone wants CBS News sabotaged

Dan Rather, out. Cutie Couric, in. God help us all.

[tabasco]

8. How absurd does our society become?

Before it collapses.

Katie Couric a news anchor?

Really LMAO funny if it wasn't so sad.

[DELUSIONAL]

9. I am so glad I stopped watching tv

Couric was (past tense since she no longer exists on my tv) the most self centered, ignorant fool I've ever seen and hope never to see again.

TV is going from bad to worse.

[tanyev]

10. Back to Elizabeth Vargas. *sigh*

No cable and those are the only two major network channels I get.

[MuseRider]

11. What are they thinking?

God, one more news show I will not watch. Looks like I am about out of luck. I miss the news but there is nothing that will ever make me watch her. I don't care if the world crumbles and I crave a report. Ick.

[Blue_In_AK]

12. I will be watching Elizabeth, thank you. n/t

[Bluebear]

13. Katie Couric ROCK'S!!!!!!!!!11111

:crazy:

[Golden Raisin]

14. Swell. Now we'll have terminally perky

news readings from Miss Happy Perky Prom Queen. Why doesn't CBS just stop the half measures and go all the way and hire Barney the pukey Purple Dinosaur to read the news? His gravitas quotient is about the same as Katie's, and in some demographics he's considered really cute & popular.