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 Linda

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Don't like her. Never watched her on the news and will not watch her if she goes to daytime. Same people over and over who keep getting these jobs. Give someone else a break.

Tuesday 05 April

By Bonny

OH Please...give us a break! The woman is past her prime and has zero talent. Never watched her on CBS and would definitely NOT tune in to watch her on yet another dumb talk show. WHY would they even offer her a spot after her failed news show. SHE is why FOX is so popular! Diane Sawyer is the ONLY woman newscaster who ever really made it. GO Diane! Let Katie retire with her unearned millions...we are tired of her!

By Pete

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Good Bye.....Now bring on the best..... Harry Smith

Friday 08 April

By Nina

Couric has been a low life, back stabbing, cut throat since her days at CNN. No talent, gummy mouth, troll who the young men like to date because she picks up the tab. CBS fired her because viewers hate her and people don't watch.

Monday 25 April

By Anti-sellout

Katie has never giving us the news, she has helped the NWO create it. She is as fake as the news she reports. She belongs to the networks. The lady is a great story teller & she gets paid well to lie to the American people.

By joanmarie1640

Yawn

Tuesday 26 April

By jmichaelotis

She quit because the ratings were in the toilet and when they're there they ask you to quit. Diplomacy at work at it's best, "Quit and get out". At that level CBS and the powers to be are all "yes" people, everyone's afraid to be in opposition. They should have listened to an independant Casting Director's opinion. I would have never given the go-ahead, her voice is her instument and she whines, I can't stand to listen to her and I guess viewers did did too.

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