Award-winning news anchor sails to new ratings low
posted at 4:00 pm on June 9, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
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Katie Couric won an award from the USC Annenberg School of Journalism for her interview with Sarah Palin, but CBS is losing viewers by the bucketload. TV Newser posted the bad news earlier today; Couric not only has lost viewers, but she’s gone below a previous new low in audience that Couric herself set during the presidential campaign:
NBC Nightly News with Brian Williams was the #1 evening newscast again last week with a more than 800,000 viewer lead over #2 World News with Charles Gibson. And with an average of 5.18M Total Viewers, the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric had its lowest viewership yet. In fact, it’s the lowest viewership since at least the 1991/92 season, as far back as Nielsen records track.
But — but — but — she’s a great journalist! USC Annenberg told us so! Helen Thomas says “she saved the country” through her tough interview with Palin! Of course, now that the country has almost reached double-digit unemployment and the Obama administration has gone on a record-setting spending spree and deficit explosion, the idea that attacking Palin “saved” anyone seems even more ludicrous than it did a month ago, when Thomas first claimed it.
So why is CBS hitting new depths with its attack anchor? Maybe because Katie likes to attack Republicans but somehow misses the fact that Joe Biden has no clue whatsoever:
“When the stock market crashed, Franklin Roosevelt got on the television and didn’t just talk about the princes of greed,” Biden told Couric. “He said, ‘Look, here’s what happened.’”
Katie didn’t know that FDR wasn’t President when the market crashed, and that television — her industry — didn’t have commercial broadcasts for more than a decade afterwards. Either that, or Katie wanted to carry Biden’s water, and Barack Obama’s as well.
No wonder viewers have left CBS Evening News. They can watch better cheerleaders on ESPN2.
Update: I forgot the link to TV Newser, and just added it now. Do me a favor and click over there a couple of times. Thanks to The Right Scoop on Twitter for letting me know.
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*crickets chirping*
bluelightbrigade on June 9, 2009 at 4:01 PM
Bwahahahahahaha.
Geronimo on June 9, 2009 at 4:02 PM
ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
just what you deserve Blinky….
any chance Cuda tweeted a congratulations???
alexraye on June 9, 2009 at 4:04 PM
It couldn’t have happened to a nicer gal.
Scrappy on June 9, 2009 at 4:04 PM
Bye bye Katie….Dont let the door hit you on the way out you dumb ass.
MCW on June 9, 2009 at 4:04 PM
As you sow, so shall you reap.
TheBigOldDog on June 9, 2009 at 4:04 PM
Time to show the colon again, Katie darlin’, it is sweeps week!
TexasDave on June 9, 2009 at 4:04 PM
Maybe Letterman will make jokes about her …
Ok, he won’t.
darwin on June 9, 2009 at 4:05 PM
There is no one more deserving of this than Couric…..well maybe Olberdumb.
rukiddingme on June 9, 2009 at 4:05 PM
It’s the haircut.
Savrielle on June 9, 2009 at 4:05 PM
Actions and attitudes have consequences, Katie. So do elections. People are getting tired of all the b.s.
kingsjester on June 9, 2009 at 4:05 PM
And Fox News Beats them all combined. Go Figure.
10AC on June 9, 2009 at 4:05 PM
USC Annenberg Challenge: How low of a viewership can you take a broacast network’s evening news cast before you take over Helen Thomas’s seat?
WashJeff on June 9, 2009 at 4:06 PM
Wow – nice way to ‘put down’ cheerleaders.
texan_forever on June 9, 2009 at 4:06 PM
Don’t worry…she’s the indispensable failure. She’ll be there to the bitter end.
AUINSC on June 9, 2009 at 4:06 PM
Just wait until analog tv ends on June 12th; she may lose another 1 or 2 million viewers; at least I can hope.
yogi41 on June 9, 2009 at 4:06 PM
Awwwwww thats too bad… Joe wants to know if anyone has a good grilled cheese recipe?
the Coondawg on June 9, 2009 at 4:06 PM
Terrible person.
Aquateen Hungerforce on June 9, 2009 at 4:06 PM
Karma is a
bitchCouric.Right_of_Attila on June 9, 2009 at 4:06 PM
Last nail in the coffin?
LastRick on June 9, 2009 at 4:06 PM
Kharma. It’s whats for dinner….Beeyatch.
portlandon on June 9, 2009 at 4:06 PM
Zombie journalists — they never go away
obviousorange on June 9, 2009 at 4:06 PM
Katie remember to turn the lights out in the studio…..and close the door
MCW on June 9, 2009 at 4:07 PM
She stinks! Always has…
You couldn’t pay me to watch that skank.
D2Boston on June 9, 2009 at 4:07 PM
Time to crank up the perkiness.
Chuck Schick on June 9, 2009 at 4:07 PM
When I was a very young man, just starting out, a Senior VP once said to me, BigYoungPup, you can’t eat titles.
You can’t eat awards Katie…
TheBigOldDog on June 9, 2009 at 4:07 PM
This will be the lead-in story tonight on Bill O’Reilly. He won’t be able to contain himself.
sherry on June 9, 2009 at 4:07 PM
There will be a government mandated fairness viewing of CBS , it’s for the children.
the_nile on June 9, 2009 at 4:08 PM
I’m shocked she hasn’t been fired yet.
wildcat84 on June 9, 2009 at 4:08 PM
Perky!
Oil Can on June 9, 2009 at 4:08 PM
Maybe she should get the “ANCHOR ALbatross” award for biggest rating tank…
originalpechanga on June 9, 2009 at 4:09 PM
New Makeup
New Producer/writer
New Prompter Operator
IMO Haven’t seen the end of her yet- She can still read
Rea1ityCheck on June 9, 2009 at 4:09 PM
Maybe she could go over to MSNBC and co-anchor with Ed Schultz. Scratch that. He won’t be there long, either.
Bwahahahahaha.
kingsjester on June 9, 2009 at 4:09 PM
I’d hit it.
lorien1973 on June 9, 2009 at 4:10 PM
Ratings? What ratings? But she’s so…perky!
Steve Z on June 9, 2009 at 4:10 PM
Now that the worse collection of rich, American hating, progressives have been put into power by the American people, why should anyone tune in to watch a nasty little biotch, who has the idea that reporting the news is the same as being a backstabbing interviewer when it comes to others that she could never hope to emulate in terms of class and ability?
She had her moment, was of use to the Socialist Party, and now can go away……thankfully.
Hening on June 9, 2009 at 4:10 PM
KARMA!
Katie and Letterman need to go away. They are losers.
jencab on June 9, 2009 at 4:10 PM
The Vast Right-Wing Conspiracy is ruining Katie Couric’s career out of vengeance for her treatment of Sarah Palin.
I’m sure Barry and Joe will bail Katie out. She’s too big to fail, right?
aero on June 9, 2009 at 4:10 PM
Perhaps she and that shameful Letterman person can switch jobs for a week or two as a ratings gimmick.
Brat on June 9, 2009 at 4:10 PM
Did you forget to link to TVNEWSER?
therightscoop on June 9, 2009 at 4:10 PM
Just one last rearrangement of the studio chairs might do it..
the_nile on June 9, 2009 at 4:10 PM
It’s Bush’s Fault. lol
10AC on June 9, 2009 at 4:10 PM
Nielsen records only go back to 91?
Dude. A blow-up doll is 50 bucks. You’d get the same experience.
MadisonConservative on June 9, 2009 at 4:11 PM
Talk about the stereotype of the cheerleaders sleeping with the quarterback. She’s in bed with the whole team, and everyone knows it.
That’s how a girl gets a reputation.
Laura in Maryland on June 9, 2009 at 4:11 PM
“it doesn’t take much to see that an award winning smile, and perky attitude don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world.”
/boggy
DngrMse on June 9, 2009 at 4:11 PM
I guess every silver lining has a cloud.
Tonus on June 9, 2009 at 4:11 PM
Well, an anchor does sink when thrown overboard. Will the ship go down with the anchor?
Steve Z on June 9, 2009 at 4:11 PM
I wonder if Katie Couric can see the Unemployment line from her Anchor desk?
portlandon on June 9, 2009 at 4:12 PM
Katie Couric is like a cheer-leader on the Titanic! She’s lashed herself to the Obama Administration and TV Broadcast News, two sinking ships. And she herself brings nothing of substance to either enterprise.
Lew on June 9, 2009 at 4:12 PM
if fox decides to ever launch a nightly news on their broadcast channel it is definitely over for the axis of nbcabccbs
weewilly on June 9, 2009 at 4:12 PM
If Rosie wasn’t too big to fail, then no one is.
Laura in Maryland on June 9, 2009 at 4:12 PM
Could not have happened to a nicer gal.
LMFAO
RobCon on June 9, 2009 at 4:13 PM
I’d hit it.
lorien1973 on June 9, 2009 at 4:10 PM
You would hit Steve Nash?
rukiddingme on June 9, 2009 at 4:14 PM
Laura in Maryland on June 9, 2009 at 4:12 PM
Yep. Rosie holds the record for shortest variety show in Television History. She beat the record of the Brady Bunch Variety Show, I think.
kingsjester on June 9, 2009 at 4:14 PM
He should do his talking points on the Letterman slur against Sarah Palin. Crass vs. class.
Steve Z on June 9, 2009 at 4:14 PM
I’m not defending Couric or CBS or anything, but you don’t really think this is true, do you? I highly doubt that her lefty bias has anything to do with her losing ratings. The same way that the newspapers’ lefty bias has nothing to do with them failing — that’s because print media is losing out to online media for all the obvious reasons.
This is just a fun way for you (and Drudge) to dump on someone whose reporting you don’t like.
tneloms on June 9, 2009 at 4:14 PM
Heh, that’s a very light load.
Schadenfreude on June 9, 2009 at 4:14 PM
Is this used-up has-been still around?
I can’t believe that 800,000 people still watch her show. We have that many people in nursing homes, hospices and morgues on a daily basis?
So that “800,000″ is probably like Democrat vote tallies, made up of the brain dead and the long deceased.
NoDonkey on June 9, 2009 at 4:15 PM
Your speed at knowing the price of a blow-up doll both scares and excites me :P
lorien1973 on June 9, 2009 at 4:15 PM
Heh, I was kinda thinking that, too. I wonder if anyone would notice.
apostic on June 9, 2009 at 4:15 PM
Maybe she should ask Obama to create 600,000 new viewers whose job would be to watch that troll.
califdreamnred on June 9, 2009 at 4:15 PM
Couric…take a good look at Helen Thomas. That’s you in five years.
RobCon on June 9, 2009 at 4:15 PM
and if that fails, a loud whiny “Oh Mister Graaaant” might do the trick.
Laura in Maryland on June 9, 2009 at 4:15 PM
Soon her viewership numbers will be worse than CBS News’ in 1929.
FreakyBoy on June 9, 2009 at 4:15 PM
She did it with Leno when she was still with NBC. Remember how they cut a whole in the desk to off her legs? (I think I just threw up a bit)
Dr.Cwac.Cwac on June 9, 2009 at 4:15 PM
So Sean McManus (President of CBS News) goes to the doctor.
“Doctor, I have this red ring around the head of my…”
“Mr.McManus, tell Katie Couric to wear a neutral color lipstick.”
Buh dump bump!
44Magnum on June 9, 2009 at 4:15 PM
P.S. Greta Van Susteren is a well-known Sarah Palin fan. She’ll probably be rippin’ mad over this!
Steve Z on June 9, 2009 at 4:15 PM
Which explains how FOX News is gathering viewers by the bucketful how?
LibTired (KO) on June 9, 2009 at 4:16 PM
She is a rich MILF and should be happy with that.
RobCon on June 9, 2009 at 4:17 PM
I wonder if Katie Couric can see the Unemployment line from her Anchor desk?
portlandon on June 9, 2009 at 4:12 PM
Awesome!
NebCon on June 9, 2009 at 4:17 PM
I want Palin as Prez just to see the Couric smirk disappear.
RobCon on June 9, 2009 at 4:18 PM
Well, that is true, but only to a point.
Yes, mags like NYT are getting eaten by internet stuff…
But their internet website isn’t making up for the loss in print revenue with ad revenue on the site (and it’s been that way since before the economy stumbled).
I err on the side of “no one likes the NYT anymore”
blatantblue on June 9, 2009 at 4:19 PM
Dude – that’s low.
texan_forever on June 9, 2009 at 4:19 PM
The snide Katie Couric gets her comeuppance.
Her friends over at NBC, Matt and Ann, are shedding the crocodile tears!
TruthBeTold on June 9, 2009 at 4:20 PM
How about Lara Logan as CBS anchor with her sh/ty South African accent? Another lefty flack but a younger model.
RobCon on June 9, 2009 at 4:20 PM
She can ask her god for a ratings bailout.
Daggett on June 9, 2009 at 4:20 PM
I think she’s about 5 months away from being reassigned away from “serious” interviews and more toward hard, in depth reporting. Such as the dog that survived on an island for 3 months without its family. Or the world’s oldest couple getting married.
Or maybe she’ll do a story based completely on false documents and swear that the story itself is true, just the evidence behind it is false before being “retired” in disgrace.
At least I can dream, anyway.
DrAllecon on June 9, 2009 at 4:21 PM
Couric needs to crawl under a rock.
upinak on June 9, 2009 at 4:21 PM
tneloms on June 9, 2009 at 4:14 PM
Glenn Beck and his massive new viewership would like to have a word with you.
Bishop on June 9, 2009 at 4:21 PM
So there are still those that think Joe Biden actually has a clue…hmm! Idiots!
kahall on June 9, 2009 at 4:21 PM
Yeah, she looks like a slutty cheerleader!
woody johnson on June 9, 2009 at 4:21 PM
I want Palin as Prez to see 58 million smirks disappear
MCW on June 9, 2009 at 4:21 PM
HAHAHAA
comment of the day!!!
alexraye on June 9, 2009 at 4:21 PM
Once Obama & Biden get the boot maybe Katie can take them on a whistlestop tour of Iran.
izoneguy on June 9, 2009 at 4:21 PM
Hey Katie, I can see the unemployment line from MY house!!
I find it amazing that all of the women worthy of admiration, according to Ms. Couric are all liberals. And I am sure that this fact doesn’t reflect her own biases and that those biases ever display themselves in her newscasts.
YEAH RIGHT. Go Sarah.
Dan Pet on June 9, 2009 at 4:21 PM
There is nothing wrong with a South African accent
MCW on June 9, 2009 at 4:23 PM
Vote with your remote!
J.E. Dyer on June 9, 2009 at 4:23 PM
Who is this person? I’ve never seen her before.
CMonster on June 9, 2009 at 4:24 PM
So why is WSJ gaining readers and the USA Today is flat? You remember the howling when Murdoch bought the WSJ, don’t you? And as others have stated – Fox gains in every segment, in fact their reruns dominate competative prime time numbers…
Odie1941 on June 9, 2009 at 4:24 PM
Can’t wait until the day when O’Reilly (as much as I dislike his “reporting style”) beats CBS evening news ratings.
smfoushee on June 9, 2009 at 4:24 PM
And people wonder why no one wants to watch her. I especially started disliking her when I noticed her blatant hatred of Ann Coulter.
Huff-FluffOpponent on June 9, 2009 at 4:25 PM
A. The government will bailout CBS with our tax dollars.
B. The government will give tax breaks to those that watch CBS.
C. The government will make CBS claim bankruptcy and then the DOJ will allow Obama to sell CBS to NBC.
D. Katie Couric will be given a late night program.
All CBS has to do is allow Carrie Prejean to be the anchor and ratings would go through the roof.
Geministorm on June 9, 2009 at 4:25 PM
maybe espn can hire her when her contract expires. can never have enough “talent” on those sidelines
espn is evil on June 9, 2009 at 4:26 PM
It’s a canard that the internet is responsible for the decline in newspaper and network viewers. Many of us here canceled our newspaper subscriptions and stopped watching the networks nearly two decades ago. I have never seen Katie Couric,and haven’t bought a copy of the Times since about 1989. Out also went the magazine subscriptions. For most of that time, there was nothing but the WSJ, old books to read, and Rush. Only in the past few years have the blogs exploded into the place for news.
JiangxiDad on June 9, 2009 at 4:27 PM
FIFY – you were being waaay to kind.
Laura in Maryland on June 9, 2009 at 4:27 PM
pitiful really
esnap on June 9, 2009 at 4:27 PM
When I have to stoop to watching the “big three” for the evening news, my choices are ABC first, NBC second, and CBS… never.
Not now. Not ever. NEVER!!!
manwithblackhat on June 9, 2009 at 4:28 PM
Her desk is at the end of the line, she just doesn’t know it.
Huff-FluffOpponent on June 9, 2009 at 4:28 PM
The ratings for network news have been dropping steadily since the 1980s. And for newspapers, since the 1960s. You can’t blame it all on technological changes.
The Lone Platypus on June 9, 2009 at 4:28 PM
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