When CBS placed Katie Couric in their evening news chair, they envisioned a revolution. The network of Murrow and Cronkite claimed to have been on the road down new perspectives and ideas for the 6:30 timeslot, seeing the modern anchor as one of the family, one more chair at the dinner table, and a way to relax and unwind after the busy work day. Now, five years after beginning her stint at CBS, the first sole woman network evening news host is on her way out, seeking a daytime talk show. This is leading many to wonder about her impact, or lack thereof, on the world of dinnertime television.Like her entrance, Couric’s exit from the anchor desk comes during a time in which evening news programming is struggling, facing viewership competition from cable news and the Internet. Accordingly, many of the major networks are working to stand out, once again, in the public eye, tearing down barriers of the black and white days when burning cigarettes, ties, and sharp masculine cuts reigned supreme. With Couric, CBS felt like they could close the gaps and rush the nightly viewer into the modern world, even if it did involve a little kicking and screaming.So then what went wrong?Despite efforts to dig into new demographics, the CBS Evening News still remained in third place for most of Couric’s tenure.
"I feel like it was a missed opportunity--we didn't capitalize on the very high ratings out of the gate,” said Kirk Black, general manager of WGCL, Atlanta’s CBS affiliate. “For whatever reason, we weren't able to turn the sample into enough regular viewers to move the needle."
As a replacement for the departing Couric, CBS has decided to remain in-house, assigning seasoned 60 Minutes reporter Scott Pelley the role of successor. Still, media critics argue that the main problem lies within the strictly scheduled formats of broadcast television programming.
“Long gone are the days when most people can even name the three network news anchors,” said Christopher J. Stevens, adjunct English professor at Northeastern University. “It remains to be seen where Couric will take the venerable newscast, but the only certainty is that the days of network news national decision makers are long gone.”
Similarly, many are concerned about the future of daytime television, particularly as Couric decides to embark on her own talk show in hopes of rejuvenating her “likability” factor. Like evening news shows, industry insiders believe that broadcast networks and stations must reconfigure daytime programming habits, even with Couric’s involvement.
"She's facing the same problem in daytime as she faced five years ago in the evening news in that she's trying to make a new entry into a declining medium," said Andrew Tyndall of The Tyndall Report, an online network news newsletter. "She's not going to be the next Oprah or the next Phil Donahue, and that's nothing to do with her, it's just that that platform doesn't exist anymore."
The key points that Tyndall and Stevens bring up, at their hearts, relate to the same idea—network news programs, and networks in general, are in trouble. With cable TV and the Internet becoming the most popular methods of getting the news, the simpler times of decades past, from Murrow to Rather and Brinkley to Brokaw, are over, and old notions must be cast aside. Broadcast television’s tight, conservative programming schedules must loosen up and differentiate themselves among the growing competition. While Couric's initial hiring had a good idea behind it, news organizations must keep in mind the need to keep dedicated and serious focus on hard news during the 6:30 half-hour. This will allow the modern news viewer the chance to connect with journalism in a stronger, more defined way while also keeping the ethical core of the craft in mind.
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