AP: Worst week of ratings for Katie Couric; drop each week since debut

[DeepModem Mom]

Worst week of ratings for Katie Couric
By DAVID BAUDER, AP Television Writer
Mon Oct 9

NEW YORK - The fifth week was the toughest for Katie Couric, whose viewership on the "CBS Evening News" has dropped each week since her debut the day after Labor Day.

Her broadcast averaged 7.04 million viewers last week, third to NBC's "Nightly News" (8.56 million) and ABC's "World News" (7.97 million), according to Nielsen Media Research.

CBS points out that the "CBS Evening News" is the only one of the three network newscasts with more viewers last week than the same week a year earlier. NBC's margin of victory last year was 2.2 million.

"Where we were last week or even in the weeks to come is not as important as where we are next year and even the year after that," said CBS News President Sean McManus. "As we have said from the very beginning, we are focused on the long term and on making slow and steady progress, which we are doing."

But the steady erosion is a discouraging sign, especially after 13.6 million people tuned in for Couric's first broadcast....

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061009/ap_en_tv/tv_cbs_couric_2

[Ian David]

1. KKatie should be promoted to Floor 500 where the walls are made of gold.nt

[BrotherBuzz]

6. Do they provide golden parachutes for people up there in the rarefied air?

Inquiring minds want to know. :shrug:

[Rosco T.]

16. Yeah, but she'll have to deal with Simon Pegg then...

:D

[kestrel91316]

2. I'm predicting Miss Katie will "retire to spend more time with

her family" within a year..................

[elocs]

3. I only have over-the-air tv channels, but I refuse to watch CBS news. n/t

[Allenberg]

4. I actually like it with her.

:shrug:

[Hissyspit]

5. Quelle Surprise!

[flamingyouth]

7. Her newscast is really poor, IMO

It's a shame, because we always watched CBS when Dan Rather and Bob Schieffer were anchoring the news.

[NanceGreggs]

8. HUH?

Viewership on the "CBS Evening News" has dropped each week since Couric's debut.

"We are focused on the long term and on making slow and steady progress, WHICH WE ARE DOING."

Decreasing viewership every week is 'slow and steady progress'?

I've heard that kind of idiotic logic before ... oh, yeah, when Rumsfeld and Cheney talk about Iraq!

[tridim]

14. Black is white, up is down and regress is progress

Sounds about right in the new Bush "reality".

[mvd]

9. I really have nothing against her, and..

she IS a Democrat. Schieffer, while maybe a bit better in the role, has screwed the Democrats a few times. I've been mad at CBS Evening News, though, ever since they gave up on Rather.

[DemonFighterLives]

17. She doesn't seem like a very strong democrat

She shills repeatedly for the admin. or maybe I haven't seen enough broadcasts.

[mvd]

18. She seems to do as well or better as most

as far as telling the truth about Bush. Wish she would do more, if she even can. CBS is probably overcompensating now.

[DemonFighterLives]

20. They don't want to be necklaced like Rather

The pukes turned off over Rather and the Awol report and the dems. tuned out for the spinelessness of the network against the freepers.

[mvd]

22. I know I tuned out

I've checked in for bits out of curiosity, but if I do watch network news, it's NBC by default.

[gulfcoastliberal]

23. Schieffer very close w/*. * made his brother ambassador to Australia

I think. That means his famil gave the bushco campaign very high dollar contributions.

[MadMaddie]

10. I have not watched one show since she has been on...

[AnotherMother4Peace]

11. She slams Jon Stewart as "fake news" - but what the hell does she report?

21 soldiers killed in the first four days of October - not a word from her on the two days I forced myself to watch her. She is the queen of fake news.

I do not trust that she reports the real news.

[mvd]

12. Unfortunately, I don't think

the networks ever allow enough real news. Don't want the people informed.

[soothsayer]

13. Bwa ha ha! Don't know why I take pleasure in this, but I do.

[kitty1]

15. Couric needs to do some field reporting out of her comfort...

zone to gain some credibility. If she documented news stories out in the war zone areas whether it's Gaza or Afghanistan, people would be more impacted by what she says and would respect her a lot more as a journalist.
Viewers need to see that she's not the same person making quiche in the Today show kitchen.

[AlCzervik]

19. since Scheiffer left there is hardly any news on the CBS evening News

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

21. Was Katie ever actually a reporter, before she was perky Today show host?

[Blackhatjack]

24. IMHO She is the face of Infotainment, Not News ...And Her Guests

so far seem to be more conservative. I mean what self-respecting reporter, and that is what an anchor should be --a reporter located behind the big desk, would lob softballs to Rush Limbaugh and Condi Rice. At least you know Rush for what he is, but the interview with Rice could have been shot to go along with her entry to a beauty pageant --showing her style and playing piano and working out to Led Zepplin. Really? IS that what is newsworthy about the Secretary of State in a world of chaos right now???

CBS missed the boat by not going with John Roberts or Scott Pelley. But then again it was the corporate side dictating the news decisions, and I guess the corp execs thought CBS would make more money drawing the celebrity watch crowd and doing 'soft' news.

Jim Axelrod is the reporter in the field getting the most experience, and eventually the most qualified for the anchor seat. Lara Logan is hot on his heels, but you can tell she would rather be in the field than behind a desk. With the chances she takes, I hope she is around long enough to be considered. Both of them have filed stories which directly contradict the 'official' WH line. We need more of that. Telling it like it is.

[JI7]

25. give the job to Christianne Amanpour

for the type of audience that tunes into evening news i think she would be appealing.

[Nikki Stone 1]

26. I'll second that

!