Katie Couric Quits 'CBS Evening News' to Host Daytime Talk Show

By AOL TV Editors Posted Apr 4th 2011 08:15AM

Rumors have been swirling for weeks about what Katie Couric will do when her CBS contract expires this summer. Now, The Associated Press reports that she is heading to fill the Oprah-sized hole in the daytime talk show lineup.

According to The AP, Couric will step down from her role as anchor of the 'CBS Evening News' after almost five years in the job. The AP says a network executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity because Couric has not officially announced her plans, reported the move Sunday night.

No departure date has been set, but Couric's contract expires June 4. She is now expected to launch a syndicated talk show in 2012, and several companies -- including CBS -- are reportedly vying for her services.

The New York Post reports that CBS offered Couric a new package including both a daytime talk show and a prestigious regular slot on Sunday night news magazine, '60 Minutes.' Although Couric's current contract stipulates that she contribute to '60 Minutes' at least six times a year, she still hasn't received any assignments from the producers.

Until recently, Couric was expected to stay on as anchor of the 'CBS Evening News' through the 2012 presidential elections. According to the Post, however, the appointment in February of '60 Minutes' chief Jeff Fager as CBS News chairman effectively ended any plans Couric had of extending her stay as nightly anchor.

Couric became the first woman to helm a nightly news broadcast when she took over from Dan Rather in 2006. Her move from NBC's 'Today' show made headlines, but after a strong start, using a new format, ratings began to fall, and the broadcast quickly reverted to a more traditional style.

The 'CBS Evening News' settled into third place in the ratings and remains well behind Brian Williams at NBC's 'Nightly News' and Diane Sawyer at ABC's 'World News.' Insiders say that Couric's $15 million salary has become increasingly hard to justify for a third-place broadcast.

Rome Hartman, Couric's first executive producer at the 'CBS Evening News,' told The AP that, while Couric's tenure clearly didn't work out as well as CBS hoped, "I don't think it's right to think of it as, or call it, a failure. ... There are people who love Katie and those who don't love her and that was a factor," he said. "But it was the overall dynamics. There was a rock that we couldn't move and I don't think it would have mattered who we would have put in there."

No replacement for Couric has yet been announced, but names linked with the role include Harry Smith, Scott Pelley and Russ Mitchell. Jeff Fager is also said to be looking for candidates outside of CBS. If Couric signs a talk show syndication deal with CBS it's possible that she could continue as evening news anchor on a temporary basis past June, if she were to agree to stay on during an extended search for her successor.

See more at TV Squad.

Tags: katie couric

Comments

(27)

Monday 04 April

By damien

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She quit....lol.....ya quit

By rtmsluci

Maybe now I will watch the CBS Evening News again. Simply too perky!

By Kat2988

i don't know why they keep giving her jobs, no one likes her.

Tuesday 05 April

By ckandrus2001

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Really - says who? I like her.

By eddeokko

so cool i like it

Wednesday 06 April

By Dreamin' Donna

Cool except the daytime talk sshow part.

By Gil

Still "another" daytime talk show I will NOT watch. She is a reason to NEVER watch daytime talk TV.

By L.S.

Who would watch a daytime talk show with her? Is she supposed to be the next Oprah or something? Personally, I don't like her and would never watch. Don't even watch her now. Blech, blech.

By Lorelei

BEST NEWS OF 2011. GOOD RIDDANCE AND NOT GONE SOONER. I COULD NOT STAND HER, AND STOPPED WATCHING CBS CHANNEL BECAUSE OF HER. I WORKED FOR CBS FOR TEN YEARS AND WATCHED EVERYTHING CBS, UNTIL SHE CAME ALONG. AFTER SHE IS GONE, I WILL WATCH CBS NEWS AGAIN. WHY CAN'T THEY GET RID OF HER YESTERDAY, EVEN MS PIGGY WOULD BE A GREAT IMPROVEMENT TO REPLACE HER. NOW THAT SHE IS UNEMPLOYED, MAYBE SHE WILL GO BEGGING FOR A JOB FROM SARAH PALIN AS A MAID AND HOUSEKEEPER, WHICH IS ALL SHE IS QUALIFIED FOR.

Remember Lorelei, it was Sarah that made Sarah look ridiculous. Katie Couric couldn't rescue that train wreck.

By bjv

Both Couric and Frey are famous ONLY because they used Palin to yuk up their "careers".
It just goes to show that no talents DO ultimately get pushed out of the spotlight in the end.

Will these two FINALLY get out of our lives? Probably not. Egos like theirs are like Obama's.

They JUST don't GET IT.

By Anne

Actually she did not trash Palin but so you know, Katie has been famous for the last 25 years honey. Palin had NOTHING to do with Katie's success. Good GOD you people are beyond ignorant and know absolutely nothing.

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Anne, That's an extreme statement you made. "You people are beyond ignorant and know absolulely nothing." You displayed your igronance for all the world to see and made numerous grammatical errors in the process.

By Libby

Jessica Savitch was the first woman to host an evening anchor seat..She was the weekend anchor on NBC and she hosted PBS' Frontline. Why do people insist on giving that credit to Katie Couric?

By dac

She does not have any talent,phony,don't watch her and never will. Why do these stupid executives kiss her a..? There is so much other good talent they ignore.

By Jeannie

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I agree with Anne, why be so mean? Katie is a wonderful news anchor. I would rather see her as some old guy who is unattractive to boot. Harry Smith, ugh. Go Katie, I will watch you on a talk show.

By annalee

That goodness, haven't watch CBS evening show since she's been on. Talk show...just what we need, another stupid talk show that I don't plan to watch.

her co workers couldn't stand her at NBC, those three probably had one heck of a party when she left Today.

By lorelei

WHAT NETWORK WOULD WANT TO HIRE HER AFTER CBS. THEY DON'T NEED TO SEE HER RESUME. ALL THEY HAVE TO DO IS READ ALL THE BLOGS AND POSTS ABOUT HER ON THE NEWS OF HER LEAVING CBS. EVERYBODY HATES HER AND IS HAPPY TO SEE HER GO. ANYBODY WHO IS THINKING OF HIRING HER IS LOOKING FOR LOW RATINGS AND ANOTHER SHOW TO FAIL, STARRING THIS NO TALENT WOMAN. SHE WAS FIRED, SHE DID NOT QUIT.CBS COULD NO LONGER JUSTIFY HER SALARY. WHY DID THEY NOT FIRE HER YEARS AGO. WELL, SARAH PALIN NEEDS SOMEONE TO SCRUB HER TOILET, KATIE MIGHT GET THE JOB IF SHE BEGS HARD ENOUGH AND APOLOGIZE FOR THE WAY SHE TREATED SARAH PALIN. KARMA, KARMA, KARMA.

By Ann from Pompano

Daytime TV, now she can ask her magazine questions; so many reporters have lost their edge and respect; where is responsible and respectable jounalism? Who can we trust?

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