LOS ANGELES — After five tumultuous years behind the legendary news desk, Katie Couric said she would be leaving her high-profile job as anchor of the “CBS Evening News” in June when her contract ends.
The news, which Couric announced Tuesday, came as no surprise to the television industry,
which is already speculating about whether Couric will launch a daytime talk show — and which network might carry it. For weeks, it has been clear that neither Couric nor CBS was interested in having her continue in the role that Walter Cronkite elevated to one of the most prestigious jobs in journalism.
“There’s a lot to be proud of during her time at CBS Evening News,” the network said in a statement. “CBS News, like Katie herself, is looking forward to the next chapter.” Within the next week, CBS News is expected to announce Couric’s replacement. “60 Minutes” correspondent Scott Pelley is widely believed to be the leading candidate.
During her time at CBS, Couric proved she wasn’t afraid to ask tough questions — her tense exchange with Sarah Palin will be remembered as a career highlight — but her interpersonal skills were also instrumental in securing friendly one-on-ones with newsmakers including Capt. Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger. Her coverage of the 2008 election earned her the Walter Cronkite Award for Special Achievement, and she also won two Edward R. Murrow awards over the last five years.
Still, her tenure also demonstrated that a celebrity anchor didn’t make a substantial difference in that evening news time slot. Despite her $15 million a year salary, Couric failed to pull CBS out of third place.
CBS is expected to announce Couric’s replacement before the network unveils its new fall schedule for advertisers in New York on May 18. But Couric wanted to be the first to announce that she was leaving, according to a CBS executive who requested anonymity because the person was not authorized to speak publicly on the matter, and Tuesday she shared the news with People magazine. She did not make the announcement on her own CBS show, leading some to question whether relations between Couric and CBS had become strained. In recent days, there has been speculation that Walt Disney Co.’s ABC network might become Couric’s new home.
ABC declined to comment.
In her next job, Couric wants to continue to be part of a network with an established news organization, said a person close to Couric who asked not to be identified because the person was not authorized to speak about internal discussions. Another person, also familiar with the situation, said that ABC and CBS have made an offer that would encompass high-profile opportunities in the news department as well as a syndicated daytime show.
CBS could offer Couric a daytime slot and the opportunity to continue to contribute to “60 Minutes.” Likewise, ABC could lure Couric with appearances on “20/20” and prime-time specials and perhaps even the Oprah Winfrey time slot after her show concludes in September.
No matter where Couric lands, she’ll embark on this next stage of her career at a time when daytime television is at a crossroads. The competition has increased with hundreds of cable TV channels and social media vying for people’s time.
“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,” says Andrew Tyndall, who publishes an industry-read newsletter about the network newscasts. “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.”
Still, daytime might be a better fit for Couric, who’s always tried to balance her journalistic credibility with what her critics and supporters refer to as her “likability” factor.
“Her reputation was that of a serious interviewer who’s good at chatting with people,” says Christopher Harper, a professor at Temple University and former ABC news correspondent. “A syndicated show would play to those strengths.”
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The biggest challenge might be bringing the old Couric back, said several television executives.
“When she left the ‘Today’ show, it was plausible to argue that the show was a hit because Katie was the anchor,” says Tyndall. “Now it’s much more plausible to answer that Katie was such a big celebrity because she was on the ‘Today’ show.”
An industry source suggested that networks remain unsure how well Couric will work on daytime television, where even a well-liked nightly news anchor could be viewed as less relatable than an Oprah or an Ellen.
During an interview with Tavis Smiley on Tuesday, Couric suggested that she was up for the challenge, looking forward to “doing what I do best, interacting with people, interviewing people and having sort of more extended conversations.”
Times staff writer Joe Flint contributed to this report.
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