CBS - WHO NEEDS KATIE?

CBS may not have to wait for Katie Couric to take over as anchor of the CBS Evening News in order for the newscast to move ahead of ABC's World News Tonight in the news ratings. As of last week, the Bob Schieffer-anchored newscast on CBS was averaging 7 million viewers, closely behind the 7.3 million viewers who tuned in to Elizabeth Vargas's news program on ABC. During the same period a year ago ABC's telecast was ahead of CBS's by 2 million viewers. The CBS newscast has seen its audience rise 6 percent since last year, while ABC's has seen its audience decline 14 percent. NBC's Nightly News audience is also down 7 percent since last year but it remains well ahead of its rivals, with 9.55 million viewers. In an interview on Thursday with Little Rock station KTHV, Schieffer remarked, "It's been very rewarding after all these years, to be my age and to get a chance to put some of my ideas into operation and to have a good public reaction." Nevertheless, he added, "No one will be happier to see Katie arrive -- I would say no one except my wife will be happier to see Katie arrive -- than I."

12/05/2006