by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright September 6, 2006
All Rights Reserved.

ll the advanced hype paid off—at least for night-one—as former NBC “Today Show” host Katie Couric took the helm of the “CBS Evening News,” earning her a 9.1 rating and 17 share, killing the competition, including NBC's “Nightly News” with Brian Williams and ABC's “World News Tonight” with Charles Gibson. For over twenty-years, network news was dominated by CBS's Dan Rather, NBC's Tom Brokaw and ABC's Peter Jennings—consistent fixtures in a changing world, in-and-out of the news business. Gambling with the ever-popular Couric, CBS hopes to remake the nightly news, dominated by charismatic males from the beginnings of TV news. Couric blazed a new trail, deviating from CBS's lineage of straitlaced anchormen, including Charles Collingwood, Douglas Edwards, Walter Cronkite and Dan Rather. CBS hopes to start an exciting new trend.

      CBS News and Sports President Sean McManus paid an unprecedented $15 million to lure Couric away from her 15-year job with NBC's “Today Show,” breaking new ground opting for her recognized popularity. “We all feel an enormous sense of responsibility,” said McManus, desperately trying to return CBS to prominence after years of lackluster ratings. Couric's bubbly demeanor plays well in morning news magazines but is untested in the specialized nighttime niche. “There is so much attention focused on what we're doing and it's such a major departure no just for CBS News but for the industry,” observed McManus, questioning whether CBS could change the old paradigm. Couric's is more comfortable interviewing newsmakers than reading from a teleprompter. She's more interactive than the controlled acting of primetime news anchors.

      Throughout TV's 60-year history, TV anchors provided the steadiness, comfort and quiet strength needed to hold audiences' hands through national turmoil. Steady news anchors provided the rock-solid stability through major events, including such gut-wrenching stories like the JFK assassination, Watergate and Sept. 11. CBS bets that Couric has the “Q” or likeability to attract viewers away from more traditional network broadcasts. “I go all over the world and there are female anchors everywhere, including Muslim countries, and then you come back to the United States and say, Hello, what's happened here,” said former ABC News anchor Carole Simpson, believing it's high time for a woman anchor. Couric's ascendance to the anchor of CBS's “Evening News,” whether intended to or not, breaks new ground, establishing femininity as a legitimate industry option.

      Traditional news viewers may stick with conventional male anchors, trusting the authoritative credibility. Unlike network news, cable news networks like FOX and CNN have found male viewers fixated on luscious female anchors, letting sex appeal drive the ratings. Concerns that female anchors lack gravitas seem old fashioned, considering womens' status in virtually all other fields. Couric offers a more inviting, playful and entertaining approach to news, not typically seen in male broadcasts. She promises to get out the same stories as her male counterparts with more sensitivity and warmth. CBS is well-aware of past failed experiments using female anchors, including Barbara Walters in 1977 and Connie Chung in 1993. Unlike Walters and Chung, Couric offers a more effervescent personality, engaging the audience with a more approachable, down-to-earth style.

      Giving Couric more creative control allows the once popular TV morning host to show more spontaneity, something not seen with most male anchors. “The medium is very cautious,” said former ABC correspondent and weekend news anchor Marlene Sanders, believing the time was ripe for a woman anchor. Forcing Couric into Rather or Cronkite's mold would surely extinguish her successful on-air magic that left her at the top of the morning news ratings. Some skeptics doubt whether a woman can pull off the kind of credibility needed to anchor a nightly news program. “I say to women all the time, if you want to support yourself, go watch Katie. If women aren't going to buy into women in leadership, why should we expect men to do it,” said former CNN executive Gail Evans, now lecturing on gender, race and ethnicity in organizational behavior at Georgia Tech.

      On her first broadcast, Couric played herself and won the ratings war, at least on the first night. Judging by her attractiveness and easy disposition, she's on her way of remaking the nightly news. Viewers respond more to her natural presentation than contrived headlines. Criticizing Couric's producers for wasting time on Tom Cruize's baby fails to appreciate the intense hunger for celebrity gossip. Couric's comfortable with more lighthearted content once shared during morning drive. If Couric tried to act more formally, she'd be criticized for acting unnaturally. “For now,” said Katie, “all I have to say is I'm Katie Couric, thank you so much for watching and I hope to see you tomorrow night," showing the kind of humility and warmth bound to make her a success. Whether admitted to or not, Couric's new way of delivering the news offers the audience something fresh.

About The Author

John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.

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