The Katie Couric Conundrum: What Should CBS Do?

By Mike Hess Posted Feb 4th 2010 01:40PM

Katie Couric's tenure as the anchor of CBS' 'Evening News' has been one of just as many highs as lows. Through it all, she's weathered the storm -- both critical and public -- and persevered despite generally ranking last among the Big Three network evening broadcasts for almost all of her time at CBS since 2006. And, as everyone saw with Conan O'Brien and Jay Leno, the business side of television can be a demanding and cruel landscape, and with Couric's (very meaty) contract up next year, many are pondering what will transpire with CBS' Couric conundrum.

The state of the economy is affecting everyone, and new reports claim that Couric's whopping $15 million a year salary might have to be trimmed a bit if CBS keeps her on board. For comparison, NBC's Brian Williams -- who almost permanently holds the top spot among the nightly network news broadcasts -- makes $10 million a year and pulls in on average more than 3 million more viewers (averaging around 10 million viewers compared to Couric's 6.5-7 million) than Couric.

This week, the New York Post reported that there was a "populist backlash against Couric's cash" brewing, but CBS News & Sports President Sean McManus quickly stepped out to extinguish the rumor-mill flames.

"Nobody in the business works harder than Katie and I can tell you unequivocally that there have been and are no plans and not even a single discussion about making a change or renegotiating," McManus told the Huffington Post. Still, McManus told TVNewser that "when Katie's contract is up there will be a spirited competition for her services, based on the work that she's done in the last few years."

Roger Friedman, who writes the Showbiz411 column for The Hollywood Reporter, tells PopEater that CBS is going to do everything they can to hold onto Couric, even in lieu of her third-place performance for the network.

"They've already invested a lot in creating and promoting her as anchor of the Evening News. They're not going to abandon that next year," Friedman told us.

In the first days of Couric's CBS debut, ratings skyrocketed for the 'Evening News' broadcast due to public interest as to how Katie would handle the job -- much like how Conan O'Brien drew his biggest numbers in his final days on the 'Tonight Show,' with everyone wanting to see what would happen. Sadly for Katie, once the initial interest faded away, so did her viewers.

During the 2008 presidential election, though, Couric gained a heap of redemption -- and credibility among her skeptics -- when she sat down for a now-infamous interview with vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Couric asked the Alaskan governor questions that Palin later dubbed "gotcha journalism" -- namely what kinds of magazines she reads and how Alaska being close to Russia relates to foreign policy. The Couric-Palin showdown put Katie back in the public eye, but much like her debut, the attention eventually faded away.

Couric's past in the word of less-serious television -- namely the 'Today' show -- has many wondering whether the fact that her contract expires in the same year that Oprah Winfrey is ditching network TV to start her own cable empire could result in Katie jumping ship to go back to fluffier programming.

"Some viewers that were accustomed to her more perky side had a difficult time accepting her covering more serious news," says Michelle Lee, Executive Editor of In Touch Weekly.

So what should CBS do? It really depends who you ask, as both of our experts seem to have different ideas as to what's best for both involved.

"CBS News is a dinosaur fighting for survival. Katie is the network's last best hope," Friedman tells PopEater. "She's a news person. She was raised on news, and wants to be taken seriously. Closet make overs and DNA tests don't seem like her milieu. People want a new Oprah. But if there's one out there, we haven't seen them yet."

Still, In Touch Weekly's Lee disagrees, and thinks that this could be the perfect opportunity for Couric to make her move back to the peak of the television food chain.

"Katie has the interviewing skills and personality to headline a daytime talk show like Oprah, so this could be the strategic move that brings her back on top."

No matter what happens -- whether Katie stays or goes -- let's just hope things work out a bit tidier than they did with Jay and Conan.

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A bundled-up Katie Couric trudges through a frigid winter day in New York City in this photo. Click for More Pics of Katie Out and About >>>

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Susan Sarandon is seen at the 15th Annual Critics Choice Movie Awards on Friday, Jan. 15, 2010, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

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Tags: katie couric, KatieCouric

Comments

(426)

Thursday 04 February

By Jene

Vote down Vote up Report this

KATIE HAS BEEN LOOKING FOR HE BRAIN..IF SHE ONLY KNEW THAT ALL SHE SHOULD DO IS BEND OVER AND LOOK UP HER A--....POOR KATIE WHAT A JOKE.

By nothingpetty

High Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

O, who cares?

By BILL

Highest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

PEOPLE LIKE KATIE AND OBAMA AND THE FAR LEFT democRATS HATES AMERICA AND SHOULD ALL GO TOO MSNBC WHERE NO ONE IS WATCHING.

By pat jackson

Lowest Rank Vote down Vote up Report this

Katie Couric has done a superb job as CBS anchor. She has proven that she has the skills and intelligence for true journalism unlike some in the media today. She has joined Barbara Walters in breaking the mold for women as nightly anchors on both network and cable t.v. CBS would make a hugh mistake if they do not renew her contract. I have followed Katie's career from the Today show to anchor, she gets better and better.

Friday 05 February

By sheila h

1 agree with you 100 percent, pat jackson !!!!!

By loraingirl

Get rid of her already!!!!

By clank mulligan

i want my news straight up..no frills..given by an old guy in a gray suit

By KM

The perky Katie C should have stayed with the fluff work at NBC. Her obvious bias and imature handling of the Palin interview left most of us with a bad taste in the mouth. As for who should be in her spot, Harry Smith, has the gravitas to pull off the credibiity part of the job that she lacks. Which reminds me of when Bush (GW) was running for office and on the alphabet channels they were all chanting the same "does he have the gravitas", seems apprpriate to remind Katie....she lacks the "gravitas" to pull of the nightly news.

By sjcobb1

She should go on that "Cougar Club" show with Courtney Cox, very similar talent level and she knows the topic well.

By George

I think seven months would have been enough and then cancelled her. Maybe Conan could do the news?

By kluji

If they got rid of her tonigh i sure as hell wouldn't notice nor would my life change one bit. That's my two cents worth. And to be honest, that goes for just about every other newscaster, reporter, hollywood type, sports figure etc etc. LOOK, tiger was gone in a moment and my days just kept on going. See what i mean!

By sally65

Why all this hate stuff about Katie Couric? She's not my favorite journalist but she's good at what she does. I think she exposed Sarah Palin for the fraud she is and the whole world is not ga-ga over Palin, only the uneducated and uninformed. The fact is the nightly news on the 3 network stations is going the way of the dinosaur. I would prefer Diane Sawyer if I were home early enough to watch the evening news but I never am. However my preference for Diane Sawyer does not mean I have to loathe Katie Couric or judge her in such a hateful way as I've seen on this blog.

By Amy

Well said Sally65.

By wstarhopper

The article said no one works harder than Katie Couric. They should have said "No one works harder to be liberal than Katie Couric". She is the most baised person on TV. I wish that they would just report the news and stop trying to push their agenda

By Joey

They should release her from her contract and let her go to work for the organization to which her loyalaties are most clear: The Democratic Party.

By Bonbon

Can these dumbazzes like Couric ever figure out why no one is watching them?

By CAROLYN

HEY CHRIS I GUESS YOU FORGOT HOW SHE HAD TO GO ON T.V. AND HAVE HER COLONSCOPY FOR THE WORLD TO SEE. OR MAYBE YOUR TO INCOHERENT TO REMEMBER. YOUR ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE WHO SAYS KEEP BEATING ME ON THE HEAD BECAUSE WHEN YOU STOP IT FEELS GOOD. GET A LIFE. OR MAYBE YOU WERE DOWN PICKING UP YOUR WELFARE CHECK HAVE A GOOD LIFE.

By Mylu

BRING DAN RATHER BACK

By jmslotnick

From day one on the CBS news I said Katie, who was so wonderful on the Today Show, was going to be a loser in the nightly news chair. She was more confortable with fluff rather than tough world stuff. Sad. She should go into lighter things where she seems more at ease.

By letha46

the people at Fox news can say anything and garner huge ratings. How? By massaging the egos of their listeners. I was amazed how they intertwine their viewpoints with such phrases as "You are the ones who understand, only you can see what is really happening." "You are the true patriots, the only ones who care about this country." "You are smart enough to see what is really happening." "It's people like you who make this country great

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