There’s a film clip we use in THE 60’s PROJECT of Walter Cronkite announcing on CBS the death of President John Kennedy. And as I watched it recently, I wondered, how much more chilling and momentous would that moment have been if Katie Couric were delivering the announcement?I have nothing against Katie Couric, quite enjoyed her on the TODAY SHOW, but I don’t think she has the street cred or the weight (although with an air brush they tried to correct that recently in the attached publicity photo) to hold down the position that Cronkite and Edward R. Murrow held with such esteem and public trust for so many years.
And what I find fascinating is all the hype. For the truth of the matter is this: Network newscasts are now irrelevant. There are so many other ways we can get our news now, from the internet, to 24 hour cable channels, even FOX News occasionally reports something that actually happened (last occurrence: 2004).
Will Katie Couric really save CBS News? No one can. If the goal was just upping the ratings for the Evening News keep Bob Schieffer. His numbers have gone up and he costs less than Katie’s hairdresser.
The real impact will be on the TODAY SHOW. That will take a big hit. Which is good news for the CBS Morning Show. It’s as if someone is watching out for Julie Chen.
But back to Katie and the surrounding hype.
In an effort to lure back viewers, she has been going around the country, holding town hall meetings, and learning what Joe Six Pack and Sally Dust Mop really want from their 6:30 national newscasts. Lo and behold, a shocking discovery has been unearthed.
People want to see positive things.
Ohmygod, who knew??? I hope that doesn’t mean if Katie were announcing Kennedy’s death she’d have to lead with: “Good news for the Johnson family today!”
And then Katie lets it slip that she wouldn’t go to dangerous hot spots because she’s a single mother with small children. I’m sorry, but the number one news anchor of CBS should not confine here worldwide reporting to only places Robin Leach would visit.
Sidebar: For the importance CBS places on its Evening News host, just look at the touching tribute they did for Dan Rather. Placed in the Friday-night-leading-into-a-holiday-weekend-death slot, in Los Angeles it was bumped to its sister station and in New York not even aired at all.
Charles Gibson was recently on with Charlie (“I’m smarter than all my guests”) Rose and was asked why network news shows were not attracting young viewers? His answer: the commercials. WTF??? They were catering to “81 year old men”, Mr. Gibson said. He would like to see some beer commercials on World News Tonight. Yeah, like THAT would solve the problem. If they want beer companies to advertise than just get Jimmy Kimmell to do the news. Or better yet, Canada's NAKED NUDES team. We've gone so far past the movie NETWORK that this last suggestion is only absurd because Americans might have trouble with the Canadian accents.
And who knows? Maybe one day we'll look back and Katie Couric WILL seem like Walter Cronkite.
This is Ken Levine
CBS News, my room.
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