Click the Pic J
Posted on 05/17/2005 8:42:02 AM PDT by COUNTrecount
Katie Couric's days as America's leading morning lady may be coming to an end.
The New York Times reported Tuesday that Couric's "Today" show saw its lead over ABC's rival "Good Morning America" fall sharply - to about 70,000 viewers last week. The paper said the estimates are based on preliminary information from Nielsen Media Research.
"Today" has led the ratings pack since 1995. But the latest numbers show that momentum may be on the side of ABC.
"In recent years, the lead by 'Today' over 'Good Morning America' has been as much as two million viewers. Thus far, for the season that began in September, 'Today' (average audience about 6 million viewers) has led 'Good Morning America' (about 5.4 million) by more than 600,000 viewers."
NBC has moved to improve ratings by dumping the show's executive producer last month. But NBC's troubles may be deja vu, when its ratings fell at "Today" as its then host Bryant Gumbel went from likable to politically correct and nasty.
Couric's reputation as a liberal diva hasn't washed well with the public, and may be the real cause behind "Today"'s woes.
ping
Katie MAY be the cause with her liberal rants? Gosh do ya think?!!!
And why was that?
It was around the time that Bryant's devout Catholic wife confronted him about his adultery and refused to do the Hilary Clinton song-and-dance.
NY POST/MICHAEL STARR...
'GOOD Morning America" has cut the gap with top-rated "Today" to a mere
70,000 viewers - the closest the two shows have been in nearly a
decade.
"GMA" averaged 5.6 million viewers last week, compared to 5.67 million
for "Today," according to Nielsen fast nationals. The last time the two
shows were this close was the week of Dec. 4 1995 (when "GMA" won the
week).
Isn't this the second report in the NYTimes about Katie losing ratings? Wonder how they became disenchanted with their ont-time favorite media princess.
In television the big salaries usually come at the sunset of a person's ratings. Katie is an example of a tv personality (such as hers is) who exemplify the "Peter Principal".
That, and the whole thing just plain sucks!
She can hear the footsteps..............
KATIE Couric isn't so sure that "Today" will always be a part of her
tomorrows.
"I just don't know," she tells the latest edition of TV Guide.
"I love my job. I love NBC. When the time comes when I feel it's right
for me, I'll figure out what I want to do, whether it's continuing to
do what I'm doing or try something new or do something crazy and
totally different."
Couric, 48, confirms that she was approached by CBS News about taking
over "The Evening News" after Dan Rather retired.
But "there were no serious talks," she says.
The NBC News diva - the highest-paid news anchor in TV history -
says that she's tired of comparisons between her and archrival Diane
Sawyer at ABC's "Good Morning America."
To compare the two female anchors constantly is "sexism" she says.
"It's interesting that they never compare ['Today' co-anchor] Matt
Lauer and ['GMA' co-anchor] Charlie [Gibson]," she says. "There is a
level of sexism in these discussions.
"I hate to pull that card because you don't want people rolling their
eyes. It's just a fact of life you have to deal with. Diane is great. I
don't know her very well, but she seems like a great person who has a
good perspective on all of this."
"Today" recently hired a new executive producer, Jim Bell, and Couric
says since he's come on board, the show has been better.
"I think the show was overly scripted," she says. "It didn't give us
enough down time to chat, relax and be ourselves because [the
producers] were trying to cram in so much."
Going forward, Couric says she wants "Today" to focus less on "splashy,
tabloidy stuff" and more on serious issues.
But "TV seems to shy away from things that seem dry," she says. "But I
think it's our responsibility to make it interesting and to engage
people."
* * *
Is it my imagination, or has the perky's male twin taken over the majority of ''in depth'' interviews?
Nows she's got a reason to wear black all the time!
Gumbel was also a pompous gasbag! He and Katie have that same pinched personality. I haven't watched Today Forever! Fox & Friends is where I go in the morning. I love Steve Doucy and Brian Kilmeade & E.D.
The huge egos of these people. They start out as talk show hosts and end up thinking they hold the highest office.
When the evil Katie goes, she will be quickly forgotten, like Dan Rather, Bryant Gumbel and all of the others.
They're like fixtures, a living room table that is quickly forgotten when replaced by a new one.
Bwahahahahahhahahahahahah!
Fox & Friends is where I go in the morning
Me too, except the weekends...I can't stand their crew on the weekends!
Revenge is mine! :~)
Click the Pic J
I've noticed that too and I think it's an improvement.
There's always some kind of -ism bothering the liberal left. sexism, racism, heterosexism, conservatism, you name it, it bothers them.
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.
