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Katie Couric Likely to Leave CBS Evening News
April 12, 2008 12:35 AM
by
findingDulcinea Staff
Reports indicate that Katie Couric will leave her anchor position on the "CBS Evening News" as early as January 2009.
30-Second Summary
Katie Couric, the former co-anchor of NBC’s “Today Show” who was hired as the anchor of the “CBS Evening News” in 2006, is reported to be leaving the position ahead of her contract’s expiration in 2011. CBS executives and sources close to Couric have speculated that the departure could follow the presidential inauguration next January. CBS News is officially denying that Couric will be departing early.
Taking over from Dan Rather in 2006, Couric attempted to change the face of evening news. Believing that Couric’s “approachable” style would translate from her long tenure on the “Today Show,” CBS executive Leslie Moonves banked on Couric to pull the ratings for the “CBS Evening News” closer to its rivals at NBC and ABC. But after initial curiosity in the program, the ratings took a “free fall,” reported New York Magazine last year.
Abandoning the new format of lengthy interviews and fireside discussions in March of 2007, CBS hired Rick Kaplan, the former president of MSNBC, as executive producer to return the show to a more traditional news program. But the ratings have continued to suffer, and Couric also received mixed reviews for her stint on 60 Minutes. Most notably, her interview of John and Elizabeth Edwards was widely criticized for its approach and question choices.
A February meeting with Couric, the chairman and president of CBS, and Couric’s agent, concerned future plans for Couric, the New York Times reported today. But those in the meeting deny that her early exit was a topic.
Taking over from Dan Rather in 2006, Couric attempted to change the face of evening news. Believing that Couric’s “approachable” style would translate from her long tenure on the “Today Show,” CBS executive Leslie Moonves banked on Couric to pull the ratings for the “CBS Evening News” closer to its rivals at NBC and ABC. But after initial curiosity in the program, the ratings took a “free fall,” reported New York Magazine last year.
Abandoning the new format of lengthy interviews and fireside discussions in March of 2007, CBS hired Rick Kaplan, the former president of MSNBC, as executive producer to return the show to a more traditional news program. But the ratings have continued to suffer, and Couric also received mixed reviews for her stint on 60 Minutes. Most notably, her interview of John and Elizabeth Edwards was widely criticized for its approach and question choices.
A February meeting with Couric, the chairman and president of CBS, and Couric’s agent, concerned future plans for Couric, the New York Times reported today. But those in the meeting deny that her early exit was a topic.
Headline Links: Closed meetings, speculations, denials
The Wall Street Journal reports that Couric, whose contract with CBS runs out in 2011, is “likely to leave the network well before her contract expires,” prompted by low ratings and a need to cut costs. Both a spokeswoman for the “Evening News” and Couric denied any changes were planned.
Source: The Wall Street Journal
The New York Times writes that the biggest decisions about Couric’s position have been put off until after the presidential inauguration. Many news reports have zeroed in on a February meeting involving Couric, her agent, CBS chairman Leslie Moonves, and CBS president Sean McManus. Potential avenues discussed for and by Couric include replacing Larry King on CNN and receiving a permanent spot on “60 Minutes.”
Source: The New York Times
Background Links: Couric shifts from morning to evening
New York magazine profiled Couric in depth by last summer as the anchor came to grips with failing ratings—well behind rivals at ABC and NBC—and a change in approach from the sunny, sometimes flirtatious atmosphere of NBC’s “Today Show” to the role of “celebrity anchor” on a traditionally serious news program. Attempting to hold on to viewers who watched the “Evening News” during Dan Rather’s tenure, as well as adopt new viewers and those from rival stations, the hope was that Couric could be “more approachable” than her rivals or predecessors. But salary requirements resulted in pay cuts for several big names at CBS. Couric allies also claimed that sexism was to blame for early ratings trouble.
Source: New York Magazine
Following Katie Couric’s interview with John and Elizabeth Edwards for "60 Minutes" last March, CBS was “slammed” with criticism, reported the New York Times blog The Caucus. Though Mr. Edwards himself praised Couric’s questions, many bloggers felt that Couric had “grilled” the couple and also left out details about her own losses to cancer, abandoning the friendly demeanor she was known for during her days on the “Today Show.”
Source: The Caucus Blog
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