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CBS's Katie Couric-anchored newscast has fallen to third place in a three-way race for viewers among the broadcast evening newscasts, triggering an exuberant news release from CBS News marveling at Couric's unprecedented double-digit, across-the-board gains in her first month and celebrating her victory over the decades-old ratings curse that has plagued new anchors. The multimillion-dollar campaign to launch Couric as anchor of the perennially third-place "CBS Evening News" delivered two weeks in which Couric's was the most-watched newscast. It opened with more than 10 million viewers and settled -- not unexpectedly -- down to about 7.9 million the second week....

What’s politically toxic in Campaign 2006? On the CBS Evening News Friday night, Katie Couric covered the U.S. Senate race in New Jersey, and the danger was apparently a Republican standing anywhere near Team Bush. Couric pressed Republican candidate Tom Kean Jr. about President Bush: "Would you like him to come?" The second time she asked, she giggled. She weirdly compared the Kean family to the fictional mob family in The Sopranos. (Would she ever do that to the Kennedys?) Couric ever-so-barely revealed "scandal has wracked the Democratic Party here," but gave no specifics. Newly appointed Sen. Bob Menendez is...

Couric Slipping Away: ABC 'World News' 2X Audience of Couric 'CBS Evening News on Wednesday in NYC and Los Aangeles ... In Chicago, ABC Pulled 4X Couric Audience; ABC Over CBS 3X in Philly....

Fast national numbers: Monday, Sept. 18: Total viewers: NBC: 8,600,000 / CBS: 8,470,000 / ABC: 7,560,000 25-54 demo: NBC: 2,890,000 / CBS: 2,660,000 / ABC: 2,730,000 Tuesday, Sept. 19: Total viewers: NBC: 8,680,000 / CBS: 8,280,000 / ABC: 7,880,000 25-54 demo: NBC: 2,660,000 / CBS: 2,710,000 / ABC: 2,580,000

CBS Trying to Do Something New By DAVID BAUDER NEW YORK (AP) - Katie Couric isn't the only thing new at the "CBS Evening News." Her first two weeks as anchor indicate that CBS is making some subtle but significant changes to a tradition-bound format, beyond the "Free Speech" commentary that has attracted the most attention since Couric's Sept. 5 debut. At the bedrock is the assumption that many Americans no longer stay disconnected from the world through their workday and need a 22-minute summary on television to catch up. Beyond the hiring of Couric, it's essential to shake things...

Hi, everyone! Okay, I’ve been waiting to exhale for some time now…and I finally have!!! Last night was my one week anniversary…and the good news is, I’m still employed! (I think) I’ve had no problem sleeping in until 7 every morning…and I’m really really enjoying my new gig. There’s a lot of excitement here about trying new things, and the people with whom I’m working are terrific-smart and funny and very dedicated to putting on the best product we can. I’m still getting used to the half hour format, but it’s gratifying to see how much we can get in…I...

Couric Furious At CBS Suits. She Claims "They Are Stabbing Me In The Back." Katie Couric is not a happy camper this morning. The Suits at CBS have sent a strong signal throughout the news department that they have already lost faith in her. Here are the details as reported to me this AM from an old friend at West 57th. (Here beginnith the First Lesson.) “Promos” (short for promotional announcements) are advertisements a station or network runs to promote their own programs. A 30 second televised message advertising Veg-O-Matic is called a “spot” (short for spot advertisement.) A 30...

Katie Couric has been on the job at the "CBS Evening News” for little more than a week, but changes are already being made on her show – a doctor with ties to Couric has been hired as medical correspondent, replacing veteran Elizabeth Kaledin. The new face is Dr. Jonathan LaPook, a Manhattan gastroenterologist who helped arrange an on-camera colonoscopy for Couric on the "Today” show in 2000. ~snip~ Kaledin had covered the network beat for CBS since 1996. "The thing I’d feel most comfortable saying, which is the truth, is that I am heartbroken by the loss of my...

Media buyers see new CBS anchor sinking By Diego Vasquez Sep 12, 2006 Katie Couric's debut as network television's first lone woman anchor is important for a lot of reasons beyond Couric herself, and not the least is what success or failure will mean for network news. A rise to No. 1 for the longtime No. 3 "CBS Evening News" broadcast would surely bring about major changes at NBC and ABC. But a week after Couric's debut, that's probably not going to happen. On her first night, Couric shot up to No. 1 in the ratings, and while she finished...

A week ago Katie Couric was a news superstar. She blew away the competition in her debut last Tuesday. And if you missed a chance to see her, you have only yourself to blame. CBS turned itself into the Couric Broadcasting System. CBS Last Tuesday Katie Couric was the darling of television news. But now? But now the early returns have people wondering if the network didn't overplay its hand. Couric debuted as new anchor of the nightly news with a bang, handily out-polling NBC and ABC. But her numbers have fallen steadily since and the Drudge Report is saying...

Katie Couric CBS 'EVENING NEWS' premiered with a 9.1 household, metered market rating and fell continuously thereafter: 9.1--7.0--6.5--4.9. Friday's household rating earned Katie third place... Developing...

Well, I gave Katie a chance...an honest chance. I watched her debut and I watched her tonight, since Rush was on. Not a damn thing has changed except the gender of the person in the anchor chair. The leftist drivel is a joke. Tonight, perky Katie apparently believes a 5 or 6 year old video tape of Useless never-bin-Laiden is a triumph of terror over Bush's liberation of 50 million Muslims in Afghanistan and Iraq. The BIG LEAD of the night was something like "On a day when the President says we're safer in the war on terror, Al...

One of the questions everyone asks a new anchor is, "What's your sign off going to be?" Walter Cronkite had the most famous nightly farewell, "And that's the way it is." Edward R. Murrow used, "Good night and good luck." Well, it's a new era here at The CBS Evening News with Katie Couric and Katie thinks maybe you folks on the other side of the screen might have some good ideas for what her own sign-off should be. If nothing else, it will be a lot of fun reading your ideas and, who knows, maybe one will actually stick.

On righ thand side about 1/2 way down. Results so far: Fantastic 7% Well done 18% Average 28% Didn't impress 28% Awful 21% 1856 Votes to date

Are you surprised Couric dropped from first to third so quickly? Yes    No   

The buzz about Katie Couric has an oddly familiar ring to me. And to Barbara Walters, Connie Chung, Lynn Sherr and Judy Woodruff -- all of us women who have sat in a news anchor chair. Brian Williams and Charlie Gibson, recent successors to the anchor chairs on NBC and ABC, didn't have anywhere near the same buildup or scrutiny. Nobody mentioned their clothes or hair, and nobody made anything of the fact that Gibson had been on a morning show, but Couric was criticized for not coming from prime-time news. Nobody mentioned the word gravitas. (Couric was accused of...

ANTICIPOINTMENT: CBS 'EVENING NEWS' WITH COURIC KNOCKED TO 3RD IN MONDAY ROMP; NBC 'NIGHTLY' TAKES BACK TOP SPOT WITH 5.8 RATING/11 SHARE, IN OVERNIGHT METERED MARTS, AFTER COURIC DEBUT WEEK DRAMA... ABC 'WORLD' FINISHED SECOND MONDAY WITH 5.7/11 SHARE TO CBS COURIC 5.4/10... DEVELOPING..

Katie Couric CBS 'EVENING NEWS' premiered with a 9.1 household, metered market rating and fell continuously (each day) thereafter: 9.1--7.0--6.5--4.9. Friday's household rating earned Katie third place... Developing

The overnight Nielsen Ratings are in, and they are a disaster for Katie Couric. Couric's CBS Evening News was beaten by ABC WNT in New York, Chicago and other major markets After all the hype, CBS and the other networks had expected a "honeymoon" lasting for at least a month as viewers sampled Couric's new show. It lasted one night. Although she eeked out a national ratings win, the big cities have already abandoned her. In places such as New York, Chicago and Philadelphia, where the big advertising dollars are spent, last night's CBS/Couric ratings free-fall mean one thing; Viewers...

It is hard to believe that a nation that prides itself on equality and freedom of speech has not had a female solo anchor of a major network television evening newscast up until now. Tuesday, Katie Couric became the first for CBS. CBS wanted a new look, and they got it. As Walter Cronkite announced: “This is the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric.” She smiled and began with a simple: “Hi, everyone. I’m very happy to be with you tonight.” The spotlight that CBS has been waiting for has finally arrived. CBS network re-evaluation and revamping via focus groups...