Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Devolution vs. evolution -- and that includes Couric
San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 11/8/6 | Tim Goodman

Posted on 11/08/2006 8:42:11 PM PST by SmithL

With a few important reviews coming up and the notebook full of snark all but emptied on Monday, here are a few TV issues du jour to wrap up:

. . .

-- Despite what you may think, there's never much joy in saying "told you so," especially when the prediction at hand seems so obvious. In this case: Katie Couric and the evening news. One of the most overhyped issues at the time -- Couric and her $15 million salary were supposed to "save" CBS and revitalize a dinosaur news format -- culminated in knee-jerk overkill in subsequent weeks when her dominating start evaporated and she fell from grace. From savior to failure in just under a month, with a ton of screaming headlines. Except right here, where we already knew that story line. Borrrr-ing.

How hard was her failure to predict, anyway? Many tuned in for curiosity's sake, then there was a slow but steady erosion of viewers until Couric fell from first to third, precisely where "The CBS Evening News" had been for a long, long time before her. Now even the carping has subsided. You can barely find stories lamenting her demise or the odd shoe-gazer about What It Means for Journalism. You'd think that CBS foolishly burning its money in public -- or throwing it into the air -- might provide enough glee to generate bitter denunciations of Couric and CBS' gall for weeks on end. You'd think millions upon millions of dollars spent on a failed resuscitation of the network news would generate a mournful obit. But, no, the parade of thrown stones has pretty much faltered. What has surfaced is worse for both CBS and Couric: deflated acceptance.

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: TV/Movies
KEYWORDS: katietheclown; perkykatie

1 posted on 11/08/2006 8:42:13 PM PST by SmithL
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: SmithL

The MSM is so far out in their thinking that nothing is working for them. What did they expect?? They took a celebrity, took away the only thing that could possibly engage an audience (her personality, irritating or not to us, is a drawing point for those who watch her)
and then are in debt when she doesn't draw an audience. Too bad for them, huh?!


2 posted on 11/08/2006 8:59:38 PM PST by Shimmer128 (My beloved is mine and I am his, Song of Sol 2:16)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: SmithL

3 posted on 11/08/2006 10:30:09 PM PST by weegee (Remember "Remember the Maine"? Well in the current war "Remember the Baby Milk Factory")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson