After months of speculation, the Associated Press says Katie Couric has decided to step down as anchor of "CBS Evening News" when her contract expires in June. Long plagued by low ratings, Couric reportedly aims to launch a talk show. The list of possible replacements includes three CBS veterans: Scott Pelley of "60 Minutes," Harry Smith of "The Early Show," and national news correspondent Russ Smith. But with cable news and the internet luring viewers away from network news, will anybody be able to do better than Couric? (Watch an AP report about Couric's decision.)
Nobody can save the evening news: It doesn't matter who replaces Katie Couric, says Jeff Bercovici at Forbes. People just don't watch the networks' flagship broadcasts any more — their combined ratings have fallen 27 percent over the last decade. Anchors are no longer the larger-than-life fixtures they used to be. Besides, no matter who CBS picks, he or she won't bring the "excitement" the selection of Couric did, and even that didn't help.
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