Posted on 09/05/2006 5:12:28 PM PDT by gopwinsin04
Couric's CBS Debut: From Taliban to Suri Sep 05 7:40 PM US/Eastern
By DAVID BAUDER AP Television Writer
NEW YORK
Katie Couric began her first night as anchor of the "CBS Evening News" on Tuesday by standing in front of a video board displaying a fast- moving rundown of stories ranging from the Taliban to Suri Cruise.
"Hi, everyone," she said. "I'm very happy to be with you tonight."
She ended the historic evening by asking viewers for help in crafting a distinctive signoff.
"But for now, all I have to say is, I'm Katie Couric, thank you so much for watching, and I hope to see you tomorrow night."
Tuesday capped a tumultuous two years for network evening newscasts. For more than two decades, the networks had been the TV homes of Tom Brokaw, Peter Jennings and Dan Rather. Now Couric, the first female network face, will compete against Brian Williams at the top-rated NBC "Nightly News" and Charles Gibson at ABC's "World News."
Even before the first commercial break, Couric showed her willingness to try new things with an evening news format that she has called formulaic.
She was introduced by a voiceover recorded by the legendary Walter Cronkite, whose tenure as CBS anchor ended in 1981. She quickly introduced a story about the resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan, a lengthy exclusive on a relatively slow news day. Correspondent Lara Logan was taken by a Taliban commander to view soldiers openly displaying their weapons less than 10 miles from a U.S. base.
That story segued into a conventional report by White House correspondent Jim Axelrod on a speech given by President Bush on the terrorist threat.
Recalling her 15 years on NBC's "Today" show, Couric, wearing a white one-button jacket over a black blouse, then interviewed columnist Thomas Friedman of The New York Times about the Taliban, the fight against terror and the upcoming fifth anniversary of the terror attacks.
The end of the broadcast found her leaning against the edge of a desk on the redesigned "CBS Evening News" set, instead of seated behind it. After acknowledging that many people were wondering how she would sign off, Couric played clips of other signoffs, ranging from Cronkite's "and that's the way it is" to Rather's ridiculed "courage" to Will Ferrell's "you stay classy, San Diego" as the fictitious movie anchorman Ron Burgundy.
"I'm not sure any of those will work for me," Couric said, then asked viewers, in all seriousness, to log onto the CBS News web site and send her suggestions.
"And who knows," she said, "maybe one will actually stick."
(Corrects signoff quote; ADDS detail. Will be led.)
Just between you and me... I think that was Connie Chung.
So that was Katie's splash? Doesn't she know yet that she's a dinosaurESS?
Or Barbara Wa-Wa.
She was really saying, she's not sure who she really is......but don't worry Katie, we don't really care who you are!
I'm Katie Couric, and thats my slant on the news.
Guess her listening tour never got to the part of how to say goodbye!
"Hi there folks!..Tonight is the first night of the dumb down bus to deathcampland!"
I hope so, but she'll have to killed in the ratings because the DBM will fall on their collective ice picks for her.
Drudge has my Suri pic up now, lol.
Thanks for the report. I'll continue my new habit of not watching.
I didn't watch, but after reading about the opening story...an embed with the enemy, I sent her a nasty email. I gave her a suggestion for closing...can't even remember what it was, but it was something like: I'm Katie and this is CBS, where terrorists are our first priority.
Goodnight and Don't make me break my foot off in your ass!
I'm guessing that Rush will sound-bite it on Friday's show, so I'll just wait until then. No need to waste my time watching her for a 90 second Rush spot.
Let's not forget Baba Wawa.......
This is Katie. Goodnight and please don't use your TV as fishwrap before unplugging it.
Oh brother! These people really take themselves way, way too seriously!
Didn't ABC have Carole Simpson as the weekend nightly news anchor for years? Wasn't Jessica Savitch the weekend anchor at NBC for years?
-PJ
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