Clearing up the "Teabagger" confusion for the media...
Posted on 03/01/2010 11:22:34 AM PST by jessduntno
In mid-2011, Katie Couric's five-year contract at CBS News will expire, and network executives appear to be exploring a "Plan B" if she departs after her oft-rocky tenure in the anchor's chair. According to the New York Times, that backup plan could very well be CNN host Anderson Cooper, who reportedly met with CBS execs months ago about anchor opportunities at the network.
The Times got the information from a pair of "TV veterans informed of the meeting."
However, a spokesperson for CNN denies a meeting ever occurred and claim in a statement to EW that Cooper "is not engaged in any additional conversations with them beyond those necessary for his continuing role on 60 Minutes."
Whether Cooper's reported meeting with CBS execs means he is being courted for Couric's job is unclear; he was previously pursued to host the network's 'Early Show,' which has struggled in the ratings. A switch to CBS full-time would be an easy one for Cooper, who is a regular contributor to '60 Minutes.'
Cooper joined CNN in 2001 and has hosted his own show, 'Anderson Cooper 360,' since 2003. He specializes in covering tragedies, including Hurricane Katrina and the recent the earthquake in Haiti.
'360' has not exactly been a ratings boon for CNN and generally ranks third in the 10 PM hour behind FOX's Greta Van Susterein and HLN's Nancy Grace. Often, repeats of MSNBC's Keith Olbermann will edge Cooper out as well. His focus on delivering the news -- and not opinion -- has been cited by industry analysts for his viewership.
Couric's ratings have not changed much either, and she currently ranks behind NBC's Brian Williams and ABC's Diane Sawyer in the evening news race. As we noted in an earlier piece, CBS may be looking to bring down costs in the newsroom due to the economic downturn.
Couric reportedly makes $15 million a year.
NBC's Brian Williams -- who almost permanently holds the top spot among the nightly network news broadcasts -- makes $10 million a year and pulls in, on average, over 3 million more viewers, averaging around 10 million viewers to Couric's 6.5-7 million.
CBS had no comment when asked by the Times, but it is not uncommon for TV stars to take meetings with other networks in the run-up to contract negotiations.
Clearing up the "Teabagger" confusion for the media...
Cooper—the Prince of Teabaggers?
How disgusting!
Swap’n 1 woman for another.
The media is just trying to tart up news broadcasts again...
Katie Couric has a job? Damn. Just Damn!
Wow, they actually did find someone worse than Katie to interview.
“Swap’n 1 woman for another.”
My first thought as well, although in a much coarser form that would have had me banned.
“He specializes in covering tragedies”. He will fit in well at cBS.
incwedible
replace the shrew with a caker....
man...I want the keys to the greenhouse at Black Rock
must be good shlit they are smoking
This teabag-sucker?
hahaha ya...one woman for another
hell Carrot Top could do a better job than eithe rof ‘em.
Will they let him show off his live-in boyfriend gay lover if he gets the job?
“Wow, they actually did find someone worse than Katie to interview.”
What makes this hard to believe is that it isn’t hard to believe.
This is a mistake; I think after 5 years of having a female news anchor, they ought to replace her with a male one. It's only fair.
Oh wouldn’t I love to have some hidden video of the Perky One when she got this news!
geeesh. from a high colonic to a lower colon.
FRed FRiendly .. Line 3
Anderson Cooper has taken more balls on the chin than a big league catcher.
Putting Cooper in Couric’s spot would be death knell of CBS. I don’t watch either, but from what I have seen and read, Couric at least has the where-with-all to be mostly courteous and constrained when on TV. Cooper, with his isolated little market, is used to shooting his mouth off with every little disgusting thought that leaks out of his empty head. He tries to pull that on ‘regular’ TV and he’s hosed.
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