CBS Evening Blues: Couric a flop? Moving to new role?

[raccoonradio]

http://www.philly.com/inquirer/entertainment/20070422_Gail_Shister___CBS_evening_blues.html

"Despite her A-list celebrity, her $15 million salary, and a promotional blitz worthy of a Super Bowl, the former star of NBC's Today has failed to move the Nielsen needle on No. 3 Evening News since her debut seven months ago."

The article says that Couric may be "an expensive unfixable mistake" and there is speculation she
may move to a new role at the network after the '08 elections. It's said the average network nightly
news viewer is 60 years old--and one person is quoted as saying that these viewers want a
middle aged male delivering the news. It's also said that Couric was perfect for a 2 hour morning
news/features show, not a (re-designed, magazine-style) evening newscast.

 

[genius]

It's about time they finally "See BS" with their newscast... :

 

[Braves2005]

It's about time they finally "See BS" with their newscast... :

I hope that they decide to get back Bob Scheiffer in the role of the evening news newscaster on CBS, which would possibly carry Katie Couric to her new own entertainment show (a.k.a. The Early Show with Katie Couric) to compete with Today (her old show) and Good Morning America. Or they could put her with Kathie Lee Gifford on The Insider which I believe is a CBS owned show. So basically it will all fit since Katie is far better at entertainment type gossip shows than giving news.

 

[Garrett]

More likely, Anderson Cooper would be a fit. He's already filing stories on 60 Minutes, and has the correct profile. But are really not going to see any changes until almost 2009 anyway, and lets face it, There's a lot about TV that will be in transition that year. I woudln't be surpised to see a whole lot of affiliate swapping by the time the dust settles. But, that's for another thread...

 

[Radiofreewill]

Should've went with John Roberts, or found a way to keep Bob Schieffer on the desk a couple more years.

 

[rapking]

Old Farts in there sexist ways, cant watch a women give out the news .

 

[Mediafrog+]

Old Farts in there sexist ways, cant watch a women give out the news .

Read the article. A common opinion: It wasn't that CBS hired a woman, but hired the wrong woman. There was a quote somewhere that Matt Lauer would have flopped as well.

Diane Sawyer would have been a far better fit. Hard news background, more gravitas. CBS shouldn't have let her get away years ago.

Screaming sexism is lame. And an accusation of sexism, when none has been clearly demonstated, is in itself, sexism.

 

[Markxxx]

Anderson Cooper isn't delivering on CNN. He does pull in an audience of young people who like the fact he was a model but CNN hasn't benefited any greatly from him. CNN has no one else really. But that said the evening news market is pretty much divided up between NBC and ABC so why shouldn't CBS go after a segment not watching the news instead of trying to lure the established viewers from NBC or ABC, this Cooper may be able to accomplish, but again that is what CBS tried with Katie and failed to do. I doubt Cooper would play in middle America, being a "rumoured" gay person and a definate NYC Yuppie.

 

[genius]

Old Farts in there sexist ways, cant watch a women give out the news .

Sexism is what happened to Barbara Walters and probably Connie Chung, but that's not the case here.

I have the feeling you have never watched a newscast with her on CBS. She's DREADFUL and coming from a morning fluff show the CBS Evening is becoming even more fluffier than it was when Dan Blather was the anchor. Besiders, Couric wasn't the first female solo anchor as of late, Elizabeth Vargas was after Woodruff was injured until she left on permanent maternity leave.

Like I always say, CBS could have avoided the mistakes of Blather and Couric if only they hired Roger Mudd(a far superior and real journalist imo)

 

[JayR]

...[N]ot going to see any changes until almost 2009 anyway, and lets face it, there's a lot about TV that will be in transition that year. I woudln't be surpised to see a whole lot of affiliate swapping by the time the dust settles. But, that's for another thread...

Do tell...I'm sure I'm not not the only one intrigued by such speculation.

 

[LKellerIII]

"Anderson Cooper isn't delivering on CNN. He does pull in an audience of young people who like the fact he was a model but CNN hasn't benefited any greatly from him."

I agree - have you noticed how much better "AC 360" is when John Roberts is filling in? Roberts is much more articulate, and appears more intelligent and knowledgeable. His questions to news makers being interviewed are superior, too - deeper and more probing.

CBS should have held onto Roberts with a promise of a bigger role on the network, then the Evening News in 09 or 10 - keeping Schieffer on in the interim. But those 1/2 hour evening network news shows are getting more and more irrelevant

 

[major]

Maybe someone doesn't want to watch Barbra Walters because of her annoying voice, maybe someone doesn't want to watch Connie Chung because of her blatant biases, etc.

How about Paula Zahn as an anchor, if it "must be a woman".

 

[Garrett]

...[N]ot going to see any changes until almost 2009 anyway, and lets face it, there's a lot about TV that will be in transition that year. I woudln't be surpised to see a whole lot of affiliate swapping by the time the dust settles. But, that's for another thread...

Do tell...I'm sure I'm not not the only one intrigued by such speculation.

Well, of course, who knows?
But think about it:
Jay Leno is leaving the tonight show at the End of the 2009 season. Also in 2009, every station must turn off their analogue signal for their digital, and based on the differnet way digital is received, this will create winners and losers. Then there is the story quoted above that Katie's role will possibly be changed after the 2008 election season, which really does not end until the Presidental Inaugeration, in January, 2009.

So, with all that going on, that is why it would be no suprised to see many companies repositioning their stations, or changing affiliates. Yes, it is just speculation, but the only thing constant is ever change.

 

[PTBoardOp94]

If Katie were the only anchor on TV, we wouldn't think she is too bad - because alone, she isn't (until she has to report on a disaster such as Va. Tech. or a story of personal significance such as colon cancer).

Its just that Gibson is that much better.

If I were going to rate the three network anchors based on "talent", it would be Gibson, Katie, and Williams.

Then again, I watched Dan Rather for all those years...

Garrett: I think Prime Time is more imprtant than the news department in deciding affiliates.

 

[searadiofreak]

I brought up Anderson Cooper in an earlier post. He is indeed CBS's best hope at bringing in a new audience for this broadcast.

The larger picture is whether or not this broadcast is even still relevant. Perhaps CBS could gain more revenue from giving this half hour back to the affiliates with some sort of compensation package.

Jay Leno out in '09? Yah, he said that, but I wonder if he really meant it. If his ratings stay decent, he will go on beyond '09 IMHO. (anyone remember Carson's threatened retirements...there must have been three or four of 'em!)

 

[johnnya2k6]

Like I always say, CBS could have avoided the mistakes of Blather and Couric if only they hired Roger Mudd(a far superior and real journalist imo)

Well, what cost Mudd a possible anchor job at any of the networks was not leading the "CBS Evening News" that August in 1977 -- Walter Cronkite was away -- with the death of Elvis Presley (they thought the Panama Canal treaty was more important than Elvis) while all the others did. It was all downhill for him from there.

(By the way, that same week "People" magazine had Marty Feldman and Ann-Margret on the cover instead of Elvis (all others including Rolling Stone had Elvis); a huge mistake in their early years before they would get it right three years later with John Lennon. On their 30th anniversary issue in 2004, they with the help of Photoshop created a cover of the issue they SHOULD'VE ran that week!)

Jonathan Allen

 

[The Voice of Reason]

How about Paula Zahn as an anchor, if it "must be a woman".

Not to sound sexist but Paula Zahn got her job on TV because she looks good. When it comes to interviewing people, she is terrible. She constantly interrupts her guest and sometimes asks the most inane questions.

Look folks, Katie isn't going anywhere for a while because of two reasons.

1. She has a contact with the network.
2. Her early departure from the anchor desk would make the network brass look like idiots, something they certainly want to avoid.

Forget the idea of bringing Bob Schieffer back. First he doesn't want the job and second he has to be laughing is tail off that Couric is flopping. John Roberts isn't about to go back to a network that passed him by as the lead anchor when he has a chance for advancement at CNN.

CBS needs to revamp its entire news operation starting with its morning show. That's the only salvation for that network. If CBS wasn't making tons of money on their network shows, they would be in serious financial trouble.

 

[network]

Jay Leno out in '09? Yah, he said that, but I wonder if he really meant it. If his ratings stay decent, he will go on beyond '09 IMHO.

Wrong. NBC announced almost a year ago that Leno IS done in 2009 and Conan moves into the hosting spot for "The Tonight Show."

 

[network]

Outside of "60 Minutes", which is an established news magazine program for the network, I noticed that NOT ONE person noted that CBS' news product has been consistently lagging for years. That IS a factor.

 

[Braves2005]

I think that it is a given that CBS News has been lagging for years now especially its longest running show on the air "60 Minutes" as it doesn't have the ratings it once had when it was the number 1 show in 1982-1983 and the top 10 show it was before then and after that. I don't believe it doesn't even rank in the Top 30 now for any given year.

I would say let CBS try her on "60 Minutes" for awhile and see how she does and give her all the entertainment features, something she knows more about than anything. She still will have her job on the evening news anyways.