. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "Courage." . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "Couric."
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.)
what is up with the wayne newton wig on that baby?
Rush will be on Thursday.
"I'm Katie Couric, and that's the way I'd like things to be. Good night."
Some will, ensnared by the train wreck syndrome, unable to look away until the last body has been removed.
I don't expect Katie to last long. But then the CBS capacity for terminal embarrassment may be wider and deeper than one would think.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "Courage." . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . "Couric."
Katie Colon is gonna get killed over this, she will never live it down. Suri Cruise on the first night of the See-BS Evening News...lmao
Couric's opening night was a pathetic show of liberal gushing. "I want to be your friend. Will you be my friend?" No, I don't want to be your friend, I just want someone respectable and authoritative, seasoned and experienced, objective and eloquent, to tell me what the heck happened today, straight up.
Perfect sign off for her and I bet a Freeper identifies the source.
Not for me! I'm on the western slope!! I was hopin for a preview from you so's I wouldn't hafta risk watchin it!!!
I turned the channel as soon as she signed on. Told my wife I wasn't going to contribute to any ratings.
Her sign off will probably be. I'm Katie couric and I am the news.
I noticed that our local commercials were for a drug that reduces geriatric bedwetting and a stair elevator, and a hair loss treatment. Pretty good demographic indicated by that wouldn't ya say???
They would've been better off to put lip gloss on Dan Rather and takes their chances. I bet he would have done it, too.
I watched it for a nano second...when she started off putting our WOT down...I hit the return button and returned to TBN and watched a wonderful show on support for America, W, our military and the WOT...with lots of folks praying to Our Lord Jesus Christ... ;o)
Murrow was a bad man.
Murrow was a bad man.
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