Wednesday, September 06, 2006

Katie Couric Jumps the Shark

I am convinced that Network Evening News has jumped the shark. Not just CBS, but this effects all the major networks.

Since April the ever perky Katie Couric has not been a reporter, she has been "the news". While cable news and the internet have overrun the network broadcasts (who gets home from work at 5:30 PM anymore anyway??), CBS has put The Fonze on waterskis in the disguise of the peppy Katie Couric.

The $15 million dollar annual salary aside (good for her, by the way!), CBS has spent a similar amount on a massive publicity campaign to convince America that their newscast would be so amazingly exciting with Katherine in charge. It wasn't. It was just a newscast.

September 5, 2006 was the date to watch. Millions tuned in to view. Yes, having the first woman as the solo anchor of a network nightly newscast is historic. But with women having come so far in America in the last three decades, this was hardly revolutionary. Let us not forget that CBS had Connie Chung as Dan Rather's co-host many years ago....only to fire her and crush her career shortly thereafter.

Ms. Couric did a fine job, but it was the most over-hyped half hour of television since Geraldo Rivera went in search of the ganster's vault.

The point of this rant is that many people get so obsessed with any move that the celebrity elite make that it trumps what is really important in live. Does the color of Katie's hair really matter? Will a new set and theme song make a differnce when the story is tragic? But the networks live and die by ratings, so maybe it does matter.

For me, I go back to my family, my job and promoting the book. Couric's debut will not effect any of those things.

Have A Great Day.

Thom Singer
www.thomsinger.com
thom@thomsinger.com

Thank you for reading The Some Assembly Required Blog. For more information about my book or to hire me as a speaker for your 2007 business planning session, visit www.thomsinger.com

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey Thom, Great review - agree.
See a few more thoughts as I just posted one on Katie - and the downfall of mass media....
www.bertdecker.com

Appreciate your comments - all the time.

Bert

Steve Harper said...

Thom....it's Geraldo not Heraldo. As crazy as that nut job is he might come to Austin and try and open your vault if your not careful. Just protecting you from the man in the stash!

Good post. I like Katie but the best part was Morgan Spurlock. He should be a regular contributor to that newscast. It would make it worth watching that's for sure!

Pete Monfre said...

Thom,

If Katie Couric is worth $15 million, I must be worth at least $7.5 million since I can read on camera too.

Great blog! Great book! When do you find time to write this stuff?

See you soon.

http://www.claritymarketingsupport.com/blog/moment.htm