Wed
Sep 13 2006
07:16 am
Is Katie Really Knocking 'Em Dead?
By: CBT

An editorial column in today's News-Sentinel claims Katie Couric is knocking 'em dead. It can be found here. However, the writer only cites the first two nights. Katie continued to drop, ending the week in third place. CBS News metered market...(Tues debut) 9.1, (Wed.) 7.0, (Thurs) 6.5 and (Fri) 4.9. The jury is still out on Couric.

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R. Neal's picture

You beat me to it, CBT. I

Submitted by R. Neal on Wed, 2006/09/13 - 9:45am.

You beat me to it, CBT. I think Estrich was about a month early with her column, and then she may have not had a column.

She makes some good points about the "glass ceiling", but I think her question "is America ready for a woman anchor" is off. We shouldn't even be asking such a question in 2006. America is ready for a woman anything.

The question should be, is America ready for a serious journalist as anchor? Or do they want just another pretty face reading today's batch of packaged infotainment?

It appears that CBS's market research and focus groups answered that, so there you go.

Meanwhile there are plenty of outstanding female journalists who would be great for the job. Leslie Stahl at their own network, Christiane Amanpour, and Gwen Ifill come immediately to mind.

CBT's picture

One gripe I have about local

Submitted by CBT on Wed, 2006/09/13 - 10:14am.

One gripe I have about local and national news folks is most all of them are just attractive news readers, but are often treated as knowing about the issues in the stories they read. Same with TV and movie stars.

To no one's surprise, if I watch evening news, I watch Bret Hume. He's at least interesting and able to discuss issues apart from the teleprompter. And, over the hour, there is discussion, not just news reading.

Ordinarily, I don't get home 'til 7 or later, so I watch the 10 News repeat or 6 News on the Tivo. Being a high-tech redneck, my Chevy truck has satellite radio, so I can listen to Fox, CNN, MSNBC (and half dozen other news channel TV feeds).

While it's still watched by millions, network TV news is becoming increasingly irrelevant with all the options available (cable, internet, radio). Some would say the same for print newspapers. Network news is just part of a big picture, not the only choice as they were when TV had 3 channels and rabbit ears.

Factchecker's picture

Why do you ask?

Submitted by Factchecker on Wed, 2006/09/13 - 12:31pm.

While it's still watched by millions, network TV news is becoming increasingly irrelevant with all the options available (cable, internet, radio).

It's been irrelevant for a lot of years now (and I would add that the Bush cheerleaders at Faux News, and especially Brit Hume, are the most irrelevant and untrustworthy because of their severe, unabashed bias).

So why even bother with the question?  Is it just an attempt to pick at the Republicans' favorite media target?  (CBS, not Couric.) 

CBT's picture

"So why even bother with the

Submitted by CBT on Wed, 2006/09/13 - 12:46pm.

"So why even bother with the question? Is it just an attempt to pick at the Republicans' favorite media target? (CBS, not Couric.)"

Haven't you read, we don't like CNN either.

Geez, much was made by a lot of folks of choosing Couric to anchor CBS. The editorial column in today's KNS painted a rosy picture not matched by facts. I didn't bash CBS or Couric. As I said, the jury is still out.

Those faux news folks are Number 1 in cable news. If Fox is slanted, are all the others unbiased and trustworthy? Is only Fox singled out as being deceitful? IMO, almost all news is slanted. There are sides to every story. 30 sec. sound bytes don't make for in-depth reporting.

R. Neal's picture

It may be 'liberal' (that's

Submitted by R. Neal on Wed, 2006/09/13 - 1:30pm.

It may be 'liberal' (that's debatable), but it isn't enforced (Lou Dobbs?).

Heh. But, I have to give ol' Lou Dobbs credit for being the only talking wobbly bobblehead on cable TV who consistently goes to bat for middle class American working people.

Andy Axel's picture

CNN

Submitted by Andy Axel on Wed, 2006/09/13 - 2:02pm.

I can't think of any anchors on CNN, outside of Jack Cafferty, who have an outright liberal bias. My sneaking suspicion is that CNN is forever tainted for being associated with Ted Turner, who was married to perennial top-five knee-jerk conservabot lightning rod Jane Fonda.

Y'all dittoheads just need to get over it.

Hell, even Oxybaugh thought well enough of Daryn Kagan to bed her.

____________________________

On tops of mountains, as everywhere to hopeful souls, it is always morning. --H. Thoreau

Factchecker's picture

Sorry, you all beat me to

Submitted by Factchecker on Wed, 2006/09/13 - 2:27pm.

Sorry, you all beat me to the point of bias.  I was typing too slow. 

P.S.  It's funny in retrospect to see what happened when the Bush admin tried to transform CPB into a FOX outlet.  They got Bill Moyers, one of the best journalists ever, though a proud liberal, to quit his gig, but they since self-destructed and another political scandal was exposed.  May have broken a few laws too.  CPB seems to have shaken off the efforts and Moyers is back on PBS.  Heh.

Factchecker's picture

We agree on CNN

Submitted by Factchecker on Wed, 2006/09/13 - 2:16pm.

Haven't you read, we don't like CNN either.

No kidding?

Geez, much was made by a lot of folks of choosing Couric to anchor CBS. The editorial column in today's KNS painted a rosy picture not matched by facts. I didn't bash CBS or Couric. As I said, the jury is still out.

It may be out for a while.  For some reason I remember the armchair reviews on Conan O'Brien (sp?) after only his first few shows.  Many said it was a dud and he'd be gone in a few weeks.  Same w/ Colbert.  It's so myopic.  And again, who cares?  FWIW, I'm not a Couric or CBS fan, though I thought Bob Schieffer was perfect for the job.  I didn't watch him there, because I think all 20 minute commercial news shows are a waste of time, but he has the best resume of any anchor over the last many, many years, IMO.

Those faux news folks are Number 1 in cable news. If Fox is slanted, are all the others unbiased and trustworthy? Is only Fox singled out as being deceitful? IMO, almost all news is slanted.

Ratings (i.e., popularity) have nothing to do w/ accuracy, fairness, or "balance."  Other news outfits are often sloppy and make big screw-ups, but I strongly question whether any of them have a concerted policy of being unfair or unbalanced or consistently promoting one political agenda.  Throughout history individual stories and maybe a few reporters have been corrupted slightly left and slightly right.  Fox is the exception.  Their whole "news" institution was built to deliver the messages your side wants to hear.  A Rush Limbaugh TeeVee news show.  How many times has Hume enthusiastically exclaimed, "President Bush sure is doing a great job handling so and so!"?  That's not news, much less fair or balanced.  It is an instant giveaway and kills any credibility he'd hope to earn.

There are sides to every story. 30 sec. sound bytes don't make for in-depth reporting.

Agreed.  Where are the in-depth news stories on Fox?  Did I miss one?  90% of their audience doesn't have the attention span, same as CNN's.  For depth you have to go to NPR or PBS news hour.  Sorry if they don't parrot Rove and Tony Snow, formerly (and virtually still) of Fox.  I'm sure many on your political side, though, believe that public broadcasting's lack of zeal to promote the GOP agenda and the absence of Clinton-bashing there proves NPR and PBS are terrorist-loving liberals.  These are the kind of people who are consistently found in scientific studies to be less informed than non-Fox viewers. 

RedDog's picture

Are you Kiddin'?

Submitted by RedDog on Thu, 2006/09/14 - 9:47pm.

You mean Katie Couric is back on TV - who's bright idea was that?

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