If I worked for a network, I'd want to work for CBS. Not because of its relative success, but because once Les Moonves invests in you, if he's in for a penny, he's in for a pound. He's patient and loyal. All good traits in the guy signing your paycheck!
I might be exaggerating Mr. Moonves' traits, especially considering all the pennies that were paid to Katie Couric. But Friday's New York Times includes a report on Wednesday's experiment where The New Adventures of Old Christine will be bumped for a special prime-time edition of the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric.
The article makes it clear that this is a one-time experiment not intended to push the idea of having a broadcast network air a news show in prime-time, but to potentially expose more people to the struggling CBS Evening News.
While pundits and pundit wanabees (including us) had long ago predicted the end of the Katie Couric era at CBS News, it seems she got a bit of revival out of her interview with Sarah Palin. I'm torn between thinking, "yeah, that reeks of desperation" and "good for you, CBS!". It's pretty low-risk on CBS' part as it's not like The New Adventures of Old Christine has been setting the Nielsen ratings on fire.
According to the article, Couric also will get a prime-time special interview show on February 4th at 9pm that is tied to the Grammy Awards.
Sadly for CBS, as sluggish as Old Christine's ratings have been this year, the prime-time evening news experiment:
- doesn't seem likely to out-rate Old Christine
- doesn't seem likely to draw a lot of viewers period, let alone among 18-49 and 25-54 year olds
- won't likely do anything much in terms of building audience for the CBS Evening News
But again, it seems a fairly low risk experiment so even if it does reek a bit of desperation, good for you CBS.
interesting idea for CBS. I’m assuming they’re just moving the normal nightly newscast later, so it won’t really cost CBS much at all. I doubt it’ll get much of a younger crowd, but hey the older crowd that does watch the CBS evening news and comes back for Criminal Minds, might just stick around for an extra half hour and watch Gary Unmarried. (lol, like that will really happen)
still interesting experiment nonetheless, I mean it’s not like it would really hurt them, just probably not really help them.
How does the CBS new rate compared to other networks?
josh: here’s mediabistro’s collection of recent nightly news ratings reports.
In my country (Hungary), News programmes have always been on during Prime-time, usually at 7-8 pm. And they are usually the higest rated programmes, or in the top10 highest rated every week.
I agree with your low-risk assessment on this experiment. Although they may not gain that much, not a ton to lose either.
Katie is the reason for CBS news bad ratings.
She might get good ratings if she does a CBS version of Naked News.
Seems like desperate times call for desperate measures. I guess Moonves figures that if he shoves Couric in our faces enough times we might finally see something charming about her. If we haven’t been able to see it by now I doubt we ever will. She lost it for me with the Palin interview. A real hack job. And to think she has the nerve to criticize Ann Coulter.
This is the best idea since Rosie O’Donnell’s variety show.
She can’t handle Brian Williams. The man is awesome.
Robert: how did she lose it for you with the Palin interview. I respected her more for it. Of course then I read your second line about Coulter. Now I understand.
If they hired Katie for her interviewing skills why not just switch her over to “60 Minutes” and give her a few specials. I’m not sure who would/could/should replace her but Harry Smith and Russ Mitchell seem to be subbing for her a lot on the evening news. Are the ratings better when she has substitutes?
This is totally shallow but have you noticed that every time Katie is gone for a length of time she has changed her appearance. Who is pulling that string? Katie or the suits? My reaction: what has she tweaked now? It is distracting to say the least. Or maybe that says more about me than her. I think they are trying to hard and at the beginning when the had the interest and good will they blew it by trying to do too much.
Younger viewers will always get their news from the Internet now. It is more up to the minute.
It is also more in tune to the viewer’s interests and provides some variety of opinion.
But if the Evening News is going to prime time (even as a one time experiment) I will probably watch something else since I will already have seen the news at its regular time.
Josh, this are the numbers for November Sweeps for the Evening news:
NBC: 9.184 million
ABC: 8.8337 million
CBS: 6.2424 million
as you can see, NBC and ABC are fighting the first place, CBS.. well, at least 60 Minutes doesnt sucks as Katie Kouric.
Couric didn’t *cause* the problem with CBS Evening News ratings, they were #3 when she started, but after all the money, and PR, she did nothing to *improve* the situation. I think it’s easy for Moonves to “stand behind” her. He’s paying her a lot of money, she’s still a very recognizable name, he doesn’t want her to go to the competition (one of the rumored reasons he wanted her was to hurt the Today Show, but so much for that idea), and getting rid of her is unlikely to change the evening news situation much.
another reason not to watch CBS at that time
Next week’s “Old Christine” was planned to be a rerun anyway.
Les Moonves – “in for a penny, in for a pound?” Maybe that’s true with Katie Couric and the reality show “Big Brother.” But that’s about it. Ask James Woods. Ask Carol Barbee. Ask the cast and crew of Moonlight. How loyal is he to those who aren’t his personal favorites?
Be serious! I’m surprised Moonves hasn’t canned Couric and replace her with his wife, Julie Chen!
As for what clutz said, the only way to get Moonves to stick by something would be…
For Julie Chen to be a vampire on “Moonlight”
For Julie Chen to work side by side with Carol Barbee or have her integrated into “Jericho” or become a single neighbor on “Swingtown”
For Julie Chen to either endorse James Woods or be cast in “Shark.”
“Big Brother” will be on for as long as either Moonves lives, is CEO of CBS or until he divorces Chen (and less than amicably)
From all of the advertisements for “Million Dollar Password” has he kicked out Regis for his wife on that too? Sure looks like there is more attention paid to her than even the host!
Lynn,
You have stated what I only implied regarding Mrs. Moonves, Julie Chen.
I didn’t realize she was on Password too. If Les Moonves finally throws in the towel on the Couric Evening News…will we see Julie Chen as news anchor? I would not be surprised one bit.
I’d be upset if they had pre-empted a new episode of Old Christine, but it was only scheduled as a re-run for the next 2 weeks anyway, so not a big deal.
Actually, they aren’t so much pre-empting Old Christine, because they are just pushing it back to the 8:30 slot, and not airing Gary Unmarried, so Old Christine will still air that week, just behind Katie.