Posted on 09/05/2006 5:12:28 PM PDT by gopwinsin04
Couric's CBS Debut: From Taliban to Suri Sep 05 7:40 PM US/Eastern
By DAVID BAUDER AP Television Writer
NEW YORK
Katie Couric began her first night as anchor of the "CBS Evening News" on Tuesday by standing in front of a video board displaying a fast- moving rundown of stories ranging from the Taliban to Suri Cruise.
"Hi, everyone," she said. "I'm very happy to be with you tonight."
She ended the historic evening by asking viewers for help in crafting a distinctive signoff.
"But for now, all I have to say is, I'm Katie Couric, thank you so much for watching, and I hope to see you tomorrow night."
Tuesday capped a tumultuous two years for network evening newscasts. For more than two decades, the networks had been the TV homes of Tom Brokaw, Peter Jennings and Dan Rather. Now Couric, the first female network face, will compete against Brian Williams at the top-rated NBC "Nightly News" and Charles Gibson at ABC's "World News."
Even before the first commercial break, Couric showed her willingness to try new things with an evening news format that she has called formulaic.
She was introduced by a voiceover recorded by the legendary Walter Cronkite, whose tenure as CBS anchor ended in 1981. She quickly introduced a story about the resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan, a lengthy exclusive on a relatively slow news day. Correspondent Lara Logan was taken by a Taliban commander to view soldiers openly displaying their weapons less than 10 miles from a U.S. base.
That story segued into a conventional report by White House correspondent Jim Axelrod on a speech given by President Bush on the terrorist threat.
Recalling her 15 years on NBC's "Today" show, Couric, wearing a white one-button jacket over a black blouse, then interviewed columnist Thomas Friedman of The New York Times about the Taliban, the fight against terror and the upcoming fifth anniversary of the terror attacks.
The end of the broadcast found her leaning against the edge of a desk on the redesigned "CBS Evening News" set, instead of seated behind it. After acknowledging that many people were wondering how she would sign off, Couric played clips of other signoffs, ranging from Cronkite's "and that's the way it is" to Rather's ridiculed "courage" to Will Ferrell's "you stay classy, San Diego" as the fictitious movie anchorman Ron Burgundy.
"I'm not sure any of those will work for me," Couric said, then asked viewers, in all seriousness, to log onto the CBS News web site and send her suggestions.
"And who knows," she said, "maybe one will actually stick."
(Corrects signoff quote; ADDS detail. Will be led.)
said...
My original thoughts, upon hearing the decision to "cast" Couric in this role, was that it truly spelled the end of any credibility the MSM had for producing and reporting news. I still believe this.
Sadly, CBS had a chance. As painful as it could have been for their anchor, they could have decided to learn from the phenomenal success (whether you agree with them or not) of Fox News and report the news with, if not a conservative slant like Fox, a middle of the road stance...they would have gained millions of viewers and truly carved a niche for themselves, and might have even given a lift to network news. But heaven knows what I must have been drinking while thinking that...
"For CBS News, I'm Katie Couric, and I'm an attention whore. Good night."
I'm Katie Couric, and you're not.
Good Night!
Is she talking about people actually watching her show?
PKC... makes me want to PUKE!!!
my twitches and convulsions were almost gone and then I saw this post and it all came back.... !#$$#@@!!@##$
They could have done a program for Americans instead of for the enemy.
Katie's sign off:
"Death to America!"
I know ZERO people that watch the nightly news.
outstanding icon!
blowchunks.com is available as a domain name, LOL
I can't even bring myself to watch it tonight.
Oh, great job, getting noted limp-wristed liberal Thomas Friedman to comment on Afghanistan.
Hey Katie - want to be fresh? Get someone other than Friedman to comment on world affairs.
Who's next? Ramsey Clark?
I would love to get FReepers' comments who had the stomach to watch her. I could not. I would not.
--Who is she diddling?--
Which begs the question to the President of CBS News, does Katie swallow?
Remember, It's Bush's fault. I'm Katie Couric, Good Night.
I watched.It was boring.
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