NBC Hypes

[Joseph_Gallant]

For the first time since it received "full-fledged" competition in it's early-morning time slot (read: a rival network launching a two-hour morning news show), NBC's "Today" show has completed ten full years as the nation's top-rated early-morning news/information show.

This NBC press release hypes "Today"'s success, and also notes that there will be a conference call Thursday (December 8th) that members of the press will be able to participate in.

One little prediction: Most (if not all) of the questions during that conference call will be about Katie Couric and whether she will stay with "Today", or go to CBS to take over their "Evening News". While there has been much speculation that Couric will make her decision this week (December 7th-9th), I doubt it will be until after this conference call. Her decision may come Friday, and whichever network keeps or wins her services will probably make it public as soon as possible after she gives them the word.

My guess: CBS will announce late Friday that Couric will indeed be moving there and will begin anchoring their "Evening News" sometime in 2006.

 

[Dawn_H]

> My guess: CBS will announce late Friday that Couric will
> indeed be moving there and will begin anchoring their
> "Evening News" sometime in 2006.

My prediction: Couric will stay with NBC and continue work with the crew on "Today". It will finally end the speculation that she is going to CBS and put it all to rest. She will not leave NBC. I don't care how much money CBS offers her. She's got too much loyality to NBC and the viewers that follow her on NBC.
<P ID="signature">______________
Dawn H</P>

 

[radiolover78]

> > My guess: CBS will announce late Friday that Couric will
> > indeed be moving there and will begin anchoring their
> > "Evening News" sometime in 2006.
>
> My prediction: Couric will stay with NBC and continue work
> with the crew on "Today". It will finally end the
> speculation that she is going to CBS and put it all to rest.
> She will not leave NBC. I don't care how much money CBS
> offers her. She's got too much loyality to NBC and the
> viewers that follow her on NBC.
>

My prediction: Couric will move to CBS. I heard that things aren't going well at NBC with Couric. Rumors were that that "sweet, home girl attitude" is all an act (which she does very well). I heard that her and Matt don't get a long well. This is all speculation and rumors. I don't know if they're true.

We'll see.

Like I've said before, if Couric moves to CBS, I don't see it working out. Just my opinion.

 

[Joseph_Gallant]

Re: Katie

It's reported that Katie Couric currently makes $13 million a year at NBC, which would already be the highest annual salary in television news.

There is gossip on the Internet (and I stress that this is only gossip) suggesting that CBS is willing to offer Couric $25 million a year ($100 million over four years). Assuming she makes $13 million a year, the CBS offer would almost double her current salary.

I could see NBC offering up to $16 to $17 million a year (maybe $18 million a year at the outside) to keep Couric. But I can't see them offering her $25 million a year.

Unless Katie Couric is so loyal to NBC that she would be willing to leave between $28 and $40 million "on the table" to stay with "Today", she's as good as gone.