It's quite ironic to see somebody like Katie to leave "The CBS Evening News" and her efforts have really did failed. and Today's her last day on the job. I would love to wish her best of luck whatever she does, and I think she'll be doing much better on a daytime talk show. In the meantime, Harry Smith, Russ Mitchell, and "The Early Show's" Erica Hill will all be filling until Scott Pelley takes over permanently on June 6th.
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Couric's last day on CBS
- Thread starter TroyG
- Start date
How Katie's last few minutes went: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7366646
I'll miss Katie, but at least she lasted three years longer than Barbara Walters and Connie Chung!
To be so ironic, With Katie's departure from CBS News, ABC's Diane Sawyer remains the last woman standing-and she's not going anywhere. Scott Pelley will become the latest Texan to sit on the same chair fellow Native Texans Rather, Schieffer, & Cronkite sat right here on "The CBS Evening News". I think Pelley will much do a better job on telling the stories that were meant to be told. From his own point of view. As The World goes by...
Troy Goodwin said:
I thought news readers were supposed to be at least half assed journalists. They aren't supposed to tell a story. They are supposed to read the news, objectively, and without a point of view. If I want a story, I'll read a novel. If I want opinions, there are plenty of those types of programs. Al Jazeera English seems to be the only organization which can separate reporting from commentary.
I got such a kick out of listening to some radio talk show host claim that it was the "conservative movement in America" that helped force Couric's ouster as the anchor for the CBS Evening News. Apparently this person was referring to the Sarah Palin interview with Couric and payback by Palin supporters.
I hate to be the one to inform this talk show host but Couric's ratings were tanking long before anyone (outside of Alaska) heard of Sarah Palin.
What happened is referred to as the Peter Principle.
Couric's performance as co-host of the Today Show convinced CBS executives that she would make a great news anchor. It didn't work out that way because while some people excel in certain work environments and categories, it doesn't mean they can succeed in others. This was the case for Couric.
It appears CBS was happy to see her go. After all her contact expired in June, yet she left in mid-May. Left might not be the best description. Urged, or better yet none of the CBS brass expressed chagrin about her plans for an early departure. That says a lot right there.
Scott Pelley has one hell of a job ahead of him. It's going to be tough to win back the audience CBS lost to NBC and ABC. Brian Williams and Diane Sawyer have better name recognition than Pelley. Even if Sawyer retired next year, David Muir would be a great replacement. As for Williams, Lester Holt is waiting in the wings. I wonder who CBS has in mind to back up Pelley?
I hate to be the one to inform this talk show host but Couric's ratings were tanking long before anyone (outside of Alaska) heard of Sarah Palin.
What happened is referred to as the Peter Principle.
Couric's performance as co-host of the Today Show convinced CBS executives that she would make a great news anchor. It didn't work out that way because while some people excel in certain work environments and categories, it doesn't mean they can succeed in others. This was the case for Couric.
It appears CBS was happy to see her go. After all her contact expired in June, yet she left in mid-May. Left might not be the best description. Urged, or better yet none of the CBS brass expressed chagrin about her plans for an early departure. That says a lot right there.
Scott Pelley has one hell of a job ahead of him. It's going to be tough to win back the audience CBS lost to NBC and ABC. Brian Williams and Diane Sawyer have better name recognition than Pelley. Even if Sawyer retired next year, David Muir would be a great replacement. As for Williams, Lester Holt is waiting in the wings. I wonder who CBS has in mind to back up Pelley?
Mark_Giardina said:
You're right. That talk host is an idiot. Couric did nothing but ask Palin relatively soft-ball questions. But Palin was so ill-prepared that she couldn't answer even the easy ones. It's not really even Palin's fault - she was a relative amateur tapped to be VP - her handlers deserve the blame for not preparing her better. It's like Newt Gingrich blaming David Gregory for somehow sandbagging him this past Sunday when Newt made his ill-advised remarks about Paul Ryan's plans for Medicare. Gregory asked nothing other than basic, sensible questions - Gingrich sandbagged himself.
As for Couric - I'm not a big fan, nor a detractor. I don't watch The CBS Evening News, but she did a perfectly good journalistic job on her 60 Minutes segments. As a kind of farewell, CBS gave her the job of interviewing Defense Secretary Robert Gates this last Sunday.
CBS's ratings tanked way back in the Rather years - and the 'tanking' occurred before Rather's big blunders - it was at least in part because NBC, and especially ABC under Peter Jennings - improved so much.
I'm just struck at how low-key the replacement of Couric with Pelley has been.
Pelley reportedly asked his bosses NOT to put his name on "The CBS Evening News (with Scott Pelley)". They pointed out that every anchor since Walter Cronkite had their name on the broadcast title, so he reluctantly went along.
But really, he's almost The Unknown Anchorman coming in, compared to all the hype when Katie Couric started.
Yes, some of that was because she is a woman, but the importance of the network evening news broadcasts continues to diminish. If David Muir ever replaces Diane Sawyer, it may be a footnote by that time.
Pelley reportedly asked his bosses NOT to put his name on "The CBS Evening News (with Scott Pelley)". They pointed out that every anchor since Walter Cronkite had their name on the broadcast title, so he reluctantly went along.
But really, he's almost The Unknown Anchorman coming in, compared to all the hype when Katie Couric started.
Yes, some of that was because she is a woman, but the importance of the network evening news broadcasts continues to diminish. If David Muir ever replaces Diane Sawyer, it may be a footnote by that time.
A couple of nitpicks: the anchor's name has been on the title
of CBS's broadcast ever since Douglas Edwards; from 1950 until
Cronkite replaced him in 1962 the broadcast was titled "Douglas
Edwards With The News".
Also, Cronkite was born in St. Joseph, MO, but I believe he grew
up in Austin; I know he attended the University of Texas.
Now for a non-nitpick: Rather never officially named a successor
(perhaps because, unlike Brokaw, he didn't know he'd be leaving),
but fellow-Texan Pelley was his unofficial preference over John
Roberts.
of CBS's broadcast ever since Douglas Edwards; from 1950 until
Cronkite replaced him in 1962 the broadcast was titled "Douglas
Edwards With The News".
Also, Cronkite was born in St. Joseph, MO, but I believe he grew
up in Austin; I know he attended the University of Texas.
Now for a non-nitpick: Rather never officially named a successor
(perhaps because, unlike Brokaw, he didn't know he'd be leaving),
but fellow-Texan Pelley was his unofficial preference over John
Roberts.
LynnW said:
I'm in TV news and let me explain things. While on the surface TV and print journalism is about disseminating news of the day objectively, it is about telling stories effectively when producing preproduced news features. As a journalist for ink or airwaves, you have to come up with a way to effectively and compellingly package HOW you are explaining and communicating what is going on.
Scott Pelley has done a great job in the past of doing that on 60 Minutes, as has Katie Couric. The big difference between the two is the Katie Couric never had the gravitas one needs to fill the anchor desk chair.
B
Bob1370
Guest
Mark G. remarks, "Scott Pelley has one hell of a job ahead of him. It's going to be tough to win back the audience CBS lost to NBC and ABC. Brian Williams and Diane Sawyer have better name recognition than Pelley. Even if Sawyer retired next year, David Muir would be a great replacement. As for Williams, Lester Holt is waiting in the wings. I wonder who CBS has in mind to back up Pelley?"
In his favor, Pelley is a solid journalist who even now is doing strong work as a reporter on shows like 60 Minutes, so if the CBS Evening News can take advantage of that, it can begin to rebuild. They'll have to find a way to use those skills in the broadcast, involving him in breaking stories in a way no CBS anchor since Cronkite retired in 1981 has been. Of course, CBS hasn't been terribly good at playing to their anchors' strengths in a long while. Dan Rather would have prospered longer if his talents as a probing reporter had been used, and well managed, in the context of the broadcast--and an Evening News which revolved around Katie Couric's strengths as an interviewer would have fared better as well, although it would have required a significant change in format from a traditional evening newscast.
In his favor, Pelley is a solid journalist who even now is doing strong work as a reporter on shows like 60 Minutes, so if the CBS Evening News can take advantage of that, it can begin to rebuild. They'll have to find a way to use those skills in the broadcast, involving him in breaking stories in a way no CBS anchor since Cronkite retired in 1981 has been. Of course, CBS hasn't been terribly good at playing to their anchors' strengths in a long while. Dan Rather would have prospered longer if his talents as a probing reporter had been used, and well managed, in the context of the broadcast--and an Evening News which revolved around Katie Couric's strengths as an interviewer would have fared better as well, although it would have required a significant change in format from a traditional evening newscast.
I think John Roberts was groomed to replace Rather over at CBS because of his popularity with the network which was suppose to climb out of the third place hole it has dug since Cronkite left. With that, Roberts went on to CNN, and He now works for FOX as an Atlanta-based reporter. His wife, Kyra Phillips stills works for CNN. Also, Harry Smith intended to be the guy who was waiting in the wings to replace Couric, So he did-Only for one more week. Smith will continue to be Pelley's Number 2 man at CBS. If Smith leaves, It may to go to Russ Mitchell, who currently anchors on weekends.
I suspect the Tiffany network would give Jeff Glor, currently on Early Show, a look whenever Pelley is ready to retire.
More and more I wish Bob Schieffer was about 15-20 years
younger. Given the job he did in the interim between Dan
and Katie, had he wanted the job permanently he would--I
honestly believe--have put CBS back on top; the ratings showed
some upsurge while he was anchoring. I just don't
think that, being in his 70s, he wanted the daily grind; sort
of reminds me that NBC approached Groucho Marx about replacing
Jack Paar back in 1962 but Groucho, already past 70, didn't think
he was up to the task of doing a show five nights a week. Schieffer
probably felt the same way.
younger. Given the job he did in the interim between Dan
and Katie, had he wanted the job permanently he would--I
honestly believe--have put CBS back on top; the ratings showed
some upsurge while he was anchoring. I just don't
think that, being in his 70s, he wanted the daily grind; sort
of reminds me that NBC approached Groucho Marx about replacing
Jack Paar back in 1962 but Groucho, already past 70, didn't think
he was up to the task of doing a show five nights a week. Schieffer
probably felt the same way.
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