Posted on 06/12/2007 10:10:21 AM PDT by Sub-Driver
CBS chief calls Rather comments `sexist'
By SETH SUTEL, AP Business Writer 5 minutes ago
CBS Corp. Chief Executive Leslie Moonves shot back at former CBS news anchor Dan Rather on Tuesday, saying remarks Rather made about his successor, Katie Couric, were "sexist."
Rather, speaking on MSNBC by phone on Monday, said CBS had made the mistake of taking the evening news broadcast and "dumbing it down, tarting it up," and playing up topics such as celebrities over war coverage. The comments appeared in blogs and in a story published Tuesday in the New York Daily News.
While referring to Couric as a "nice person," Rather said "the mistake was to try to bring the 'Today' show ethos to the 'Evening News,' and to dumb it down, tart it up in hopes of attracting a younger audience."
Moonves, asked about the remarks at an appearance in New York sponsored by the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University, called the remarks "sexist" and said he was surprised at the amount of negative coverage Couric was receiving. Couric, the first solo female news anchor, has been struggling in the ratings.
"She's been on the air for nine months," Moonves said. "Let's give her a break."
Moonves said he "absolutely" had confidence in Couric and the direction that CBS's evening was going, saying it was imperative to reach younger audiences. Evening news broadcasts couldn't continue to have audiences that are mainly over 60, Moonves said, otherwise "the evening news will die."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
Did anyone else notice that while Moonves called Rather’s remarks ‘sexist”, no where in the article did he disagree with Dan’s opinion?
How could you possibly dumb-down anything Dan said? That would be like reaching Zero on the Kelvin scale of stupidity or something.
Nice catch! Although, I must say, I am not at all surprised. I’ve heard about the Cruella act when she was at Today, but it’s pretty surprising that she could get away with this “sexist” CBS.
Isn't it wonderful to see Moonves strap himself even tighter to The Perky One?
Nine months—eh. Normally that is an eternity in TV ratings land. But perhapse in Les’ land of the ratings sinkhole, it seems little more than a .... “pregnant” pause.
Dinosaur Media Catfight Ping.
Dinosaur Media Catfight Ping.
Her ratings still lower than “Mama’s Family” reruns in the L.A. market ?
Rather’s comments were fake but accurate.
Even some at CBS didn’t want Couric. She has made a huge mistake and it’s just a matter of time before changes are made.
Trust us, Dan ... SeeBS news was no smarter when you were there.
Dan Rather is an age-ist!
Well, they did that when they put Dan in the anchor chair.
Katie’s tarting it up... as compared to RATher’s forging it up...
LOL!!
I agree. The expression means sleazying the presentation of something, and while it may have had its origin in Victorian references to prostitutes, I think he was referring to the program features, not to Couric.
It's like the "niggardly" argument -- a word that never at any time had any history of racism and is not even spelled the same as the N-word got someone fired. It's PC overkill. Mooves probably has some private issues with Rather. OTOH, Rather should keep his mouth shut and cut his losses.
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