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CBS chief calls Rather comments `sexist'
Yahoo ^

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 ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cbs; couric; danrather; rather
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To: Sub-Driver
JUST ANOTHER RETIREE WATCHING KATIE COURIC?
41 posted on 06/12/2007 10:56:24 AM PDT by girlscout
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To: Sub-Driver

Never thought I would see a tabloid news article about a disgruntled former employee trashing their successor. What next? Same former employee giving advice on how they should fix it? /s


42 posted on 06/12/2007 10:59:05 AM PDT by IamConservative (I could never be a liar; there's too much to remember.)
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To: fieldmarshaldj

Moonves said he “absolutely” had confidence in Couric and the direction that CBS’s evening was going,

WELL ME TOO! DOWN DOWN DOWN


43 posted on 06/12/2007 11:01:41 AM PDT by 70th Division (If we loose the Republic we have lost it all.)
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To: Sub-Driver

How do they expect to reach a “younger” audience with a botoxed 50something????? Who’s best know for her “perkiness” and her completely liberal bias???

If this is how CBS thinks they will reach a “younger” audience, then they are even dumber than I thought.

Here’s a freaking IDEA CBS.. how about you just report the news, no commentary, no slant, no trying to tie every report to El Nino, or Global Warming, or any other crap. Just HERE ARE THE FACTS.. next story?

Why don’t you twits give that a try??? How about when an interview is being done we don’t see cut aways to the INTERVIEWERS face???? Why do I care what his or her facial expressions are???

How about stop trying to MAKE news, and simply report it?


44 posted on 06/12/2007 11:06:07 AM PDT by HamiltonJay
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To: Sub-Driver
Sexist?


45 posted on 06/12/2007 11:10:16 AM PDT by caveat emptor
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To: HamiltonJay

“How do they expect to reach a “younger” audience with a botoxed 50something????? Who’s best know for her “perkiness” and her completely liberal bias???”

I remember watching that Dawson’s Creek show about a decade ago and the main character mentioning he spanked it to Katie in the morning. That seriously weirded me out, because I’d rather spank it to Al Roker or Willard Scott than Creepy Katie.


46 posted on 06/12/2007 11:47:20 AM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (~~~Jihad Fever -- Catch It !~~~)
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To: Sub-Driver

Sexist indeed. The men at CBS news are as much tarts as any of the women.


47 posted on 06/12/2007 12:03:51 PM PDT by DManA
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To: fieldmarshaldj

I’m 35 years old, and while Catie doesn’t look good for her age, putting her on the boob tube isn’t going to make me turn in. If they are using a 50something woman to attract a “younger” audience, their existing audience must be in their 80s.


48 posted on 06/12/2007 12:12:32 PM PDT by HamiltonJay
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To: HamiltonJay

Sorry, that should read, “doesn’t look bad for her age”


49 posted on 06/12/2007 12:12:56 PM PDT by HamiltonJay
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To: HamiltonJay

No, I think you got it right the first time. ;-) Have you seen her in close-up ? *shudders*

The problem isn’t just the outer looks thing, it’s just that she’s a really ugly person on the inside.


50 posted on 06/12/2007 12:18:27 PM PDT by fieldmarshaldj (~~~Jihad Fever -- Catch It !~~~)
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To: FormerACLUmember

I declare that the photo on the right is fake, but accurate.


51 posted on 06/12/2007 12:27:00 PM PDT by L,TOWM (Liberals, The Other White Meat [protest for... violence and peace])
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To: 70th Division

“Oh, but you can’t expect to wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart threw a sword at you!”


52 posted on 06/12/2007 12:31:03 PM PDT by Calvin Locke
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To: HamiltonJay

I agree that she doesn’t look bad for her age. If she read the news while wearing a bikini, I would probably watch it. Until then, I won’t watch her show.


53 posted on 06/12/2007 12:39:36 PM PDT by PhilCollins
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To: Patrick1
Yeah, Rather dumbs it down and makes it up.

Must be something in the water at CBS. Dan can't be a total sexist - he did say she was "nice" -- followed by "really nice" and a wink...

54 posted on 06/12/2007 12:49:25 PM PDT by GOPJ (We are NOT a nation of immigrants, we are a nation of Americans - legal, assimilated and proud-Laney)
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To: Westbrook

Maybe she could do the news in a “naughty schoolgirl” or “naughty nurse” outfit. No harm in it. Nobody’s gonna watch, anyway.


55 posted on 06/12/2007 1:19:43 PM PDT by PzLdr ("The Emperor is not as forgiving as I am" - Darth Vader)
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