Viera and Couric

[Mark Giardina]

Viera and Couric

Interesting wouldn't you say that days apart there are stories that Katie Couric will be replaced as the anchor of the CBS Evening News and then Meredith Viera announces her departure from The Today Show?

I'm not trying to suggest these two stories have any connection but wouldn't it be a coup for NBC if Couric did decide to return to her former job?

 

[pab]

Re: Viera and Couric

...or Viera goes back home to CBS as the new anchor of Evening News?

Both are as likely (i.e.: not very).

 

[OhioMediaWatch]

Re: Viera and Couric

Couric returning to "Today" would be interesting, but I think she's ticketed for a daytime talk show (with CBS handling the distribution, and not entirely moving her out of the news department).

 

[FreddyE1977]

Re: Viera and Couric

or is this just another case of "women of a certain age" being put out to pasture?

 

[imhomerjay]

Re: Viera and Couric

Hardly. Meredith has made it clear she's choosing to leave and the reasons for that personal decision, even though NBC was looking to re-sign here. Had Katie's ratings done well, the mutual parting of the ways wouldn't be happening. It just didn't work out, regardless of "cerain age." Beyond which, by bidding to keep her in the corporate family, they're clearly looking for a way to keep her visible, just in what may be a more suitable format.

 

[TheBigA]

Re: Viera and Couric

I remember that Meredith didn't want the job in the first place. She was very happy with the part-time work she had before.

As for Katie, no guarantee that she's actually leaving CBS. It's a big company with lots of divisions that need hosts and content, and she will be a sought-after talent with lots of connections that any company would want to have or keep. The anchor chair hasn't been the best use of those talents, and she'd be the first to admit that.

 

[formeraa]

Re: Viera and Couric

Actually, Meredith's husband has M.S. NBC threw alot of money at her. Basically, if she worked five years, she would be set for life and could spend the rest of her life caring for her husband.

 

[Markxxx]

Re: Viera and Couric

The bottom line is not everyone is right for every job and Couric was not for this job. But she WAS good at the Today Show.

I don't really see this as a less of a job, as I would bet a lot of "hard news" people couldn't do that type of job.

I listen to a lot of OTR and I think it was interesting when you had movie stars on them. Some of them couldn't cope at all. They were horrible. Others (Ronald Reagan, Jane Wyman and Rita Hayworth especially) were able to not only hold their own with stars like Burns and Allen and Jack Benny but were able to top them.

But most people would think of a movie star as having higher status than a radio star. But some of them, were clearly intimidated by the live audience, even though they were basically just reading a script.

 

[ding12]

Re: Viera and Couric

Couric probably won't return to Today. The early AM hours and job requirements aren't very easy on the body. She has already made millions, been there done that for that position, and is established that she won't need to go back there.

Most likely she'd be interested in a daytime talk show.

As far of NBC, it's just that last area where they were #1. Now with Comcast owning NBC, Comcast can begin to officially move remaining valuable NBC content and NBC brand to cable, and begin the process to close it from 4 major over the air broadcast networks to 3 major over the air broadcast networks.

 

[TheBigA]

Re: Viera and Couric

Now with Comcast owning NBC, Comcast can begin to officially move remaining valuable NBC content and NBC brand to cable, and begin the process to close it from 4 major over the air broadcast networks to 3 major over the air broadcast networks.

Not if they want to keep owning OTA TV stations, which they seem to want to do.

 

[ding12]

Re: Viera and Couric

Now with Comcast owning NBC, Comcast can begin to officially move remaining valuable NBC content and NBC brand to cable, and begin the process to close it from 4 major over the air broadcast networks to 3 major over the air broadcast networks.

Not if they want to keep owning OTA TV stations, which they seem to want to do.

For the time being; eventually it can written off as a loss. I wouldn't trust that Comcast has it in its interest to continue to give away expensive content that they own via broadcast for free. Comcast could intentionally disinvest in NBC so that it is just a notch above the CW, MyNetwork, ion group,but distant from Fox CBS ABC group; Comcast wouldn't feel loss then shaking things up, then moving things to cable. The 1st move would be Comcast restructures 'Today' with a lower cost structure (with lower paid anchors) once Vieria and Matt Lauer leave. In 10-15 years, the national daily AM offering by Comcast for the stations could be like RTV's http://daytimeonline.tv/

I've seen Comcast strip CN8 (and make it a station of infomercials that still has the 8 position on cable) based on their believe that local audiences aren't worth competing for, which is likely the direction for the OTA stations.

 

[TheBigA]

Re: Viera and Couric

I wouldn't trust that Comcast has it in its interest to continue to give away expensive content that they own via broadcast for free.

Free? Ad rates for net affiliates during network time can run as much as ten times as much as cable rates. They know that. OTA TV is a cash cow, and diversifies the portfolio. The pennies they get per subscriber won't make up for losing OTA.