Katie’s Crash
09 May 2007 4:36 pm by Taylor Marsh
Katie's Crash
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Katie Couric has the lowest CBS ratings since 1987.
This gives me no pleasure
to report.
More women reporting on politics, foreign policy and war is important if we're ever going to get some gender equality in the media, especially on serious issues. But the
viewers have voted. Her
nutty notebook didn't help her popularity, and neither did her
interview with John and Elizabeth Edwards that turned people off in droves.
One name comes to mind: Christiane
Amanpour. She would be terrific in any anchor chair. She won't, because no doubt she likes
her life doing special assignments, but she's a woman with the chops to do the job right.
Unfortunately, Katie just hasn't been able to cut it. The numbers are in.
It surely wasn't what CBS dreamed about when Katie Couric was hired: the
“CBS Evening News” last week recorded its smallest audience since
1987, and probably many years before that.It also didn't help that the average of 6.05 million viewers came at the
beginning of the important May ratings “sweeps.”Meanwhile, ABC's “World News” recorded its widest advantage in
viewership over NBC's “Nightly News” since the week Peter Jennings
died in August 2005. The victory, ABC's ninth in 13 weeks over NBC, adds to
the sense that Charles Gibson is eclipsing Brian Williams as the nation's
favorite network news anchor.“World News” averaged 8.1 million viewers last week (5.7 rating,
12 share). NBC's “Nightly News” had 7.5 million viewers, its fourth-lowest
figure since at least 1987 (5.3, 12), and CBS had a 4.3 rating and 9 share.
The year 1987 is a benchmark because that's when Nielsen began using its “people
meter” technology.
The biggest mistake Couric has made and continues to make, in my humble estimation, is that she comes across as breakable and over quoffed. Being
in the studio all the time isn't helping her image; not when you've got the likes of Arwa
Daman of CNN, Lara Logan of CBS, Amanpour, and even Lesley Stahl, who at least
goes on assignment. Or maybe Couric's image was set a long time ago, with one
too many “Today” shows for anyone to think of her as a news anchor.
Whatever, one thing is clear: CBS has got to make a move soon. Their nightly
news is in full on freefall.
