Evidently, "perky" and "likable" aren't what the nation's network news watchers want with their nightly dose of headlines. This is a tough (and expensive) lesson being learned by the folks at CBS Corp. (NYSE: CBS). Last week, the CBS Evening News, which has been anchored by Katie Couric since early September, attracted its lowest ratings since 1987. During the first week of May, which happens to mark the beginning of the television industry's spring "sweeps" period, an average of 6.05 million viewers tuned in to watch the former Today host deliver the news. Couric is currently the highest-paid news anchor, at $15 million per year.
ABC's World News offering, meanwhile, averaged 8.1 million viewers, while NBC's Nightly News saw 7.5 million viewers tune in. Charles Gibson mans the desk at ABC -- a division of Walt Disney (NYSE: DIS) -- while Brian Williams is the weeknight anchor for General Electric's (NYSE: GE) NBC.
Thank goodness for the CSI franchise and other programs that keep CBS moving at an enviable clip. The network still won the week, earning an average 11.2 million viewers in prime time to top its four competitors.
How do you solve a problem like Katie? According to recent theories from "CBS sources," she may gracefully bow out of her current role following the 2008 Presidential election and take on another position at the eye network. But even that is well over a year away, and there is the potential for plenty of sub-par ratings between now and next November.
Beth Gaston Moon is an analyst at Schaeffer's Investment Research.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
5-09-2007 @ 11:30AM
Mike Rath said...
Who didn't see this coming????
5-09-2007 @ 12:57PM
Holben in Denver said...
Ms. Couric does as good a job as anybody in her job. Her shortcoming is that she appears plastic and animated; but so do a lot of other "anchors".
Hillary Clinton has the same problem. Probably should just get used to this and let her do her job.
5-09-2007 @ 2:58PM
Mike said...
Every morning my wife watched "Katie the Communist" and "Matt the Liar" as I called them. I found them both to be arrogant, but at least Matt L could deliver the news albeit from a biased position in my opinion. Katie on the other hand was nasal and condescending in her delivery. I really don't want to listen to someone who makes me feel I am being nagged for 20 minutes each evening.
5-09-2007 @ 3:51PM
Lisa said...
The problem with Katie Couric is that she lacks gravitas. She apparently can't shake the bubbly image. It isn't a uniquely female thing--the two female anchors on BBC World News don't lack gravitas, and I think both are prettier.
5-10-2007 @ 3:49AM
mary said...
i think kate couric is good at her job! she is kind and has a heart...more then i can say for some of the others they have on now.if you take her off the air..then i will never look at your t.v shows again!..hold your head high katie couric!! your the best! your fan..mary tallant..honeygrove,texas.
5-10-2007 @ 9:38AM
whosudaddyx2 said...
This old lady is washed up... dating younger men is the only way she's getting aHEAD!! Can't stand that she has nothing to say... always going to the corispondances... which she'll blame for anything that goes wrong... ACCEPT RESPONSIBILTY KATIE & face that fact that you SUCK!!!
5-10-2007 @ 12:22PM
Brad said...
problem with Katie and CBS is they hired a rightwinger. Everyone knows she is in the camp with the right and has always reflected that in her journalism. CBS made a mistake hiring someone from the right to replace a liberal newsman like Rather. It was a liberal audience he talked to every evening and then CBS throws this rightie at that audience....DUH! Stupid business people. Redstone needs to not fire Katie, but the idiot who thought she could appeal to a liberal audience.
5-12-2007 @ 7:46AM
bhemhmbc said...
The only thing 'wrong' with Katie is her gender.
Sadly, America is still a male-dominated society.
She is making more money than the males at the
other 2 major networks.
Since they stopped teaching "Ethics in Journalism",
everyone and everything fall victim to jealousy and
greed.
Keep up the good work, Ms Couric.
5-12-2007 @ 7:46AM
bhemhmbc said...
The only thing 'wrong' with Katie is her gender.
Sadly, America is still a male-dominated society.
She is making more money than the males at the
other 2 major networks.
Since they stopped teaching "Ethics in Journalism",
everyone and everything fall victim to jealousy and
greed.
Keep up the good work, Ms Couric.
7-03-2007 @ 12:30PM
JD said...
Katie Couric lost me @ the 2002 Winter Olymics in Salt Lake City Utah. She is very arrogant & condescending. I remember her interviewing a couple who just won the lottery. She made more money than the people she was interviewing & they knew it when she asked them what are they going to do with all that money. I think she made $50,000 a day! It was a joke! What a dissapointment she was on CBS evening news. Please replace her ASAP with Stone Phillips. At least he is humble & can appeal to a much broader audience.
7-09-2007 @ 7:29PM
sammy said...
I think Stone Phillips should replace Katie Couric!NBC made a mistake by firing him and CBS should take advantage of that mistake. Dump Katie while there's still hope! At the very least, CBS should try to bring Stone on as a co-anchor!
7-11-2007 @ 9:52AM
Dorothy said...
I disliked her on NBC in the mornings. I remember how rude she was to a woman guest when she said on air "Would you please quit shaking your leg." The poor woman was nervous and Katie the QUEEN made her more nervous. What a bitch Katie Couric can be. Good luck CBS, she is now your problem child and believe me, she is a devil in disquise.