Posted on 03/08/2007 8:17:17 PM PST by Red Steel
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — CBS News today fired the executive producer of Katie Couric's struggling "CBS Evening News" broadcast and appointed former CNN and MSNBC president Rick Kaplan to the job.
Kaplan replaces Rome Hartman, said CBS News President Sean McManus. Hartman had held the position since before Couric began at CBS last September.
The newscast has been a distant third in the ratings behind ABC and NBC. During last month's pivotal ratings "sweeps" period, Couric's average of 7.6 million viewers was 6 percent down from what Bob Schieffer recorded in February 2006.
More troubling was the newscast's apparent confusion in direction, driving viewers away from the anchor given a multimillion-dollar commitment to jump from NBC's "Today" show.
McManus said he believes the broadcast is improving and increasing its focus on breaking news, but needed a strong executive like Kaplan to take it to the next level.
"I'm not sure that we are consistent enough so that every single night you know what you are going to get from the 'CBS Evening News,"' he said.
McManus said he decided less than a week ago that a change was needed and reached out to Kaplan to hear his ideas. Deciding he liked them, he brought Kaplan's name to Couric to get her assent.
He said he doesn't believe Couric's performance has anything to do with the ratings problems. "She is very good at this and will be even better at it," he said.
"Her ability and qualifications are not an issue with me at all," McManus said. "Creating the right show around her is what is important."
...Kaplan was also a good friend of President Clinton.
(Excerpt) Read more at seattletimes.nwsource.com ...
Kaplan will just rearrange the deck chairs on the SS CBS News. It's only a matter of time before the ship finally sinks.
Where did she get that outfit and why are they allowing her to be photographed in it? YUCK!
Sending Kaplan to save Couric is like sending the Lusitania to save the Titanic.
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