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Anchor Katie Couric Blasts Into Third Place (Dinosaur Media DeathWatch™)
WaPo ^ | October 3, 2006 | Lisa de Moraes

Posted on 10/03/2006 5:58:50 AM PDT by abb

CBS's Katie Couric-anchored newscast has fallen to third place in a three-way race for viewers among the broadcast evening newscasts, triggering an exuberant news release from CBS News marveling at Couric's unprecedented double-digit, across-the-board gains in her first month and celebrating her victory over the decades-old ratings curse that has plagued new anchors.

The multimillion-dollar campaign to launch Couric as anchor of the perennially third-place "CBS Evening News" delivered two weeks in which Couric's was the most-watched newscast. It opened with more than 10 million viewers and settled -- not unexpectedly -- down to about 7.9 million the second week.

Couric's slide continued in Week 3; she finished in second place with about 7.7 million viewers, behind perennial evening news winner Brian Williams, who logged about 8.2 million on NBC.

And, while final numbers on Couric's fourth week in office will come out today, it appears from preliminary stats that she has fallen to third place with about 7.5 million viewers, behind Williams's 8.2 million and Charles Gibson's 7.6 million at ABC. To get there, Williams and Gibson held firm week to week, while Couric continued to shed some viewers.

CBS News noted that last week Couric was still in first place among the 25-to-54-year-olds advertisers try to reach with news programming. In that demographic group, Couric tied Williams, and they were one-tenth of a ratings point ahead of Gibson.

CBS slapped Couric on the back for reversing the "historic pattern of first-month losses when anchors change."

"The ratings history of network evening news anchor changes reveals a clear pattern of audience loss in the first month versus the same period a year earlier," CBS News said. "Compared to the five anchor changes of the past two decades, Couric has dramatically reversed that pattern with the broadcast's remarkable growth."

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cbs; cbsnews; couric; couricbombs; dbm; msmwoes; nolegsnoratings; television
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Tuesday Morning Good News
1 posted on 10/03/2006 5:58:51 AM PDT by abb
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To: PajamaTruthMafia; knews_hound; Grampa Dave; martin_fierro; Liz; norwaypinesavage; Mo1; onyx; ...

Ping


2 posted on 10/03/2006 5:59:27 AM PDT by abb (The Dinosaur Media: A One-Way Medium in a Two-Way World)
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To: abb

Third place??? THIRD PLACE????

Why I thought this was the 'little darling' of the evening news that was going to blow the other stations off the air...

Third Place???

ROFLMAO


3 posted on 10/03/2006 6:01:20 AM PDT by HarleyLady27 (My ? to libs: "Do they ever shut up on your planet?" "Grow your own DOPE: Plant a LIB!")
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To: abb

Hey CBS I could have gotten you the same spot in the ratings for 1/10 the money you shelled out to get Katie.


4 posted on 10/03/2006 6:01:37 AM PDT by mainepatsfan
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To: abb
Firmly anchored in third... good news indeed.
5 posted on 10/03/2006 6:01:42 AM PDT by johnny7 (“And what's Fonzie like? Come on Yolanda... what's Fonzie like?!”)
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To: abb
~snicker~
6 posted on 10/03/2006 6:02:05 AM PDT by Mo1 (Hey McCain and Graham .... our soldiers signed up to dodge bullets not lawsuits)
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To: abb
....marveling at Couric's unprecedented double-digit, across-the-board gains in her first month .....

In other words, millions stopped to rubber-neck at the scene of an impending disaster.

7 posted on 10/03/2006 6:03:13 AM PDT by Polybius
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To: abb

Maybe they could call in Connie Chung to save them.


8 posted on 10/03/2006 6:04:25 AM PDT by Savage Beast ( 9/11 was never repeated thanks to President George W. Bush.)
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To: abb
Nice going, Katie. We knew you could do it.

it may be time for another colonoscopy, this one in the prime news hour ...

9 posted on 10/03/2006 6:04:44 AM PDT by catpuppy
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To: abb
Hey! At least she's ahead of Wheel of Fortune and reruns of The Andy Griffith Show.
10 posted on 10/03/2006 6:04:45 AM PDT by Izzy Dunne (Hello, I'm a TAGLINE virus. Please help me spread by copying me into YOUR tag line.)
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To: abb

They could have got Last Place w/Rather!

Pray for W and Our Freedom Fighters


11 posted on 10/03/2006 6:04:56 AM PDT by bray (Voting for the Rats is a Deathwish)
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To: mainepatsfan

Yeah, but do you have the colon for it?


12 posted on 10/03/2006 6:05:30 AM PDT by Izzy Dunne (Hello, I'm a TAGLINE virus. Please help me spread by copying me into YOUR tag line.)
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To: abb

Who was her fan base at Today? Must have been working women who never heard a word she said because they were blowdrying their hair while getting ready for work. Or maybe she wasn't the popular one at all. Maybe the women just watched for Matt.


13 posted on 10/03/2006 6:06:04 AM PDT by Ron in Acreage (VOTE DEMOCRAT--TERRORISTS ARE COUNTING ON IT)
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To: Polybius
I marvel at the fact that about 25 million people actually watch the evening "news" and these alphabet stations.

I guess the good news is that that means there's over 200 million that don't watch--LOL!

14 posted on 10/03/2006 6:08:04 AM PDT by basil (Exercise your Second Amendment rights--buy another gun today.)
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To: All

http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2006-10-02-couric-number-three_x.htm
Couric slides to No. 3 despite viewer bump


15 posted on 10/03/2006 6:08:22 AM PDT by abb (The Dinosaur Media: A One-Way Medium in a Two-Way World)
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To: abb
Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting

16 posted on 10/03/2006 6:08:42 AM PDT by maggief
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To: abb

I watched her coverage of the Amish school house tragedy last night. Katie could not understand why the killer would drop his own kids off for school before heading over to the Amish school. A flickering light bulb moment if I've ever seen one.


17 posted on 10/03/2006 6:08:54 AM PDT by Dixie Yooper (Ephesians 6:11)
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To: Polybius

Part of the disaster is what her handlers dressed her in. I wouldn't be caught dead in some of the stuff she wore to start with. Poor Katie!


18 posted on 10/03/2006 6:09:12 AM PDT by Sunshine Sister
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To: Polybius

I never watch the evening news, but last night I happended to be home at 6:30 and was clicking around when I remembered that I hadn't yet seen Katie C. in her new job. So I tuned in. I was surprised at how old she looked and how unpleasant was her voice. What a colossal blunder!


19 posted on 10/03/2006 6:09:19 AM PDT by swain_forkbeard (Rationality may not be sufficient, but it is necessary.)
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To: abb

"You like me, you really like me,"

20 posted on 10/03/2006 6:09:59 AM PDT by truthandlife ("Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God." (Ps 20:7))
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