CBS News Appears to Be Close to a Deal With Katie Couric

[Digitonomy]

There was a good discussion about Couric in a thread during the Olympics two years ago, but someone got rude and the thread was deleted. Most people (myself included) were pretty annoyed by her. Some thought her presence did nothing for the Today show, but I thought then, and this article supports it, that as annoying as Katie is, she is a major ratings draw.

CBS’s long courtship of Katie Couric has moved close to a conclusion, and a deal to recruit her away from NBC’s “Today” show and into the nightly anchor chair at CBS News may be completed as early as this week, people close to the negotiations said today…

The speculation for at least the past three months has been that the “Today” host would accept CBS’s offer to replace Dan Rather as the permanent anchor of “The CBS Evening News.” Bob Schieffer has filled in as the interim anchor since Mr. Rather stepped down in March 2005, and he has done that job with great success. Audience totals for the newscast are up significantly under Mr. Schieffer.

The issue for NBC has been how losing Ms. Couric could affect “Today,” the most important program the network owns because it is by far the most profitable, surpassing $250 million a year. That issue was a cause for great anxiety at NBC a year ago, when ABC’s morning program “Good Morning America” pulled in ratings one week that were within several thousand viewers of the “Today” ratings.

But since Mr. Zucker undertook an effort to restructure the program under new producers, “Today” has regained its claim to ratings dominance in the mornings. The concern over losing an established and popular host like Ms. Couric, who has been with the program for 15 years, has faded somewhat in recent months.

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[Fitz]

I don’t watch Katie due to her liberal bias, but I do believe many people love her. I think she has quite a following.

 

[Digitonomy]

It’s official.

Katie Couric, the most successful host in the more than 50-year history of NBC’s “Today” show, told her audience of more than 6 million viewers this morning that she will step down from the program and leave NBC when her contract concludes at the end of next month.

No mention was made of her successor, but NBC has nearly concluded an agreement with Meredith Vieira of ABC to replace Ms. Couric.

Under the terms of the deal, which was expected to be resolved by week’s end, Ms. Vieira would sign a four-year contract worth at least $10 million a year and would take up her morning assignment on NBC just after Labor Day, said the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the conversations were continuing.

It is not yet known how the arrival of Ms. Vieira would affect the future of Campbell Brown, co-anchor of the weekend edition of “Today” and the primary correspondent for “NBC Nightly News With Brian Williams.” While Ms. Brown would be expected to continue on “Weekend Today” and to serve as the main substitute for Mr. Williams and Ms. Vieira, she is also likely to receive offers from other networks when her contract expires, as soon as next year. Ms. Brown was married on Sunday to Dan Senor, a Fox News analyst, and is on a honeymoon this week.

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[davy39]

With Vieira on one news show and Couric on another, I now have a good excuse not to watch any MSM news program. I guess it’s back to the radio.

 

[Digitonomy]

davy39:

I now have a good excuse not to watch any MSM news program. I guess it’s back to the radio.

Is radio somehow not mainstream?

 

[davy39]

Not shortwave. You’ll get a wider range of opinion on shortwave. Try it, you’ll like it.

 

[Digitonomy]

davy39:

Not shortwave. You’ll get a wider range of opinion on shortwave. Try it, you’ll like it.

I do like it. Although I’m waiting for Digital Radio Mondiale to become more widespread before I get a new radio - the static on analog shortwave drives me nuts.

 

[Troy7]

I dont care for Merideth Vierra at all. Looking forward to see what Couric brings to 60 Minutes.

 

[davy39]

I do like it. Although I’m waiting for Digital Radio Mondiale to become more widespread before I get a new radio - the static on analog shortwave drives me nuts.

Yes, it does get a bit annoying sometimes. Especially EWTN. Plus their hop, skip and jump of frequencies all the time. Even the frequency guide supplied by them, isn’t always accurate.

 

[Michael038]

Great another liberal anchor, just what we need! Not!