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WSJ: Katie Couric leaving CBS News?
Rupert Murdoch’s version of the Wall Street Journal loves poking CBS News in the eye, and the latest assault claims that “Evening News” anchor Katie Couric will leave after serving only two years of her five-year contract.
CBS issued a statement today insisting the WSJ story is untrue.
“We are very proud of the ‘CBS Evening News,’ particularly our political coverage, and we have no plans for any changes regarding Katie or the broadcast,” said CBS spokeswoman Sandy Genelius.
So, who’s right?
Well, if CBS News plans to lift its sagging ratings any time soon, Couric might well be leaving the anchor desk. The newscast has been abandoned by loyal viewers who were initially put off by Couric’s desk-perching chats and long-winded, “Today”-style interviews.
Most of those alleged innovations are long-gone, replaced by Couric helming the type of traditional newscast that has served broadcast networks well for more than 50 years.
The once hallowed “Evening News” has been fading since Dan Rather’s tenure. When Couric was lured away from NBC’s “Today” in 2006, for a reported $15 million annual salary, the hope was that change — of style and gender — would be good.
But after an initial sampling, CBS fell back behind NBC’s Brian Williams and ABC’s Charles Gibson — both traditional anchors who weren’t trying to spice up an old format.
WSJ claims Couric will depart in January, after the presidential inauguration. Nobody would be surprised, however, if she left sooner.
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