Departing Couric: News Anchors Have A Shorter Shelf Life -- With More Entropy
Being the main anchor of a big TV news broadcast used to be akin to a Supreme Court judgeship -- you held the job until basically you couldn't do it anymore. CBS' Walter Cronkite held the job for decades; so did Dan Rather.
Couric? Just five years. We know her remarks to Letterman had a point. Those early evening newscasts aren't what they once were.
Not that TV news executives haven't tried to change things. When Couric came aboard, CBS had been touting that its news brand would be aggressively extended -- to online, social networks and mobile devices. But has that been enough?
News producers owned up to the fact they bit off more than they could chew -- looking to make big changes, getting away from what CBS does best. Through it all -- even with some personnel losses -- CBS has still gotten its share of news scoops.
But that's not the measure of a good TV show anymore. With the fractionalization of viewers -- and news consumers going into many directions to get what daily news they need -- ratings and subsequent ad dollars mean much more. So do personalities. Even cable news has quicker changes, such as the recent departures of MSNBC's Keith Olbermann and Fox News' Glenn Beck's.
Now Couric looks to go elsewhere -- most likely to syndication. While that might allow Couric to do more of what she does best -- one-on-one interviews -- the syndication business has been no easy street.
Think about Oprah Winfrey, who is leaving after 25 years. Though she could have gone on for perhaps another couple of decades, money and afternoon viewership for syndicated shows have been tough to come by. Cash license fees for Winfrey's show and others have been on the decline for years.
It is also no picnic for any former big TV broadcast network personality to make the transition. Jane Pauley, anyone?
WAYNE FRIEDMAN
Wayne Friedman is West Coast Editor of MediaPost.
Recent TV Watch Articles
-
Big TV Broadcast Development for 2013-2014: But Where Is The New Reality? May 17, 9:37 a.m.
Good news for those who still believe in broadcast network television: There some 52 new shows ...
-
2013 TV Upfront Conclusion: Harder For Viewers To Avoid Commercials May 16, 7:40 a.m.
TV commercial overload: It's not over yet.While the TV industry works out its online and digital ...
-
Where Do TV Broadcast Networks Fit In A La Carte Programming? May 15, 9:58 a.m.
It may be no coincidence that Sen. John McCain's bill to revamp most of the modern ...
-
Will You Fail TV's test... Or Will TV Fail You? May 14, 9:56 a.m.
Take a TV test. TV networks still believe your positive results are crucial for their fall ...
-
Upfront Nerves: Digital Executives On Edge. TV Executives? Calm Before The Storm May 13, 1:57 p.m.
Pre-upfront time media executive nerves are on edge.Senior media agency executives are telling major digital video ...
-
Can Cable Or Digital Content Networks Provide Relief For TV's 'Failure Tax'? May 10, 4:41 p.m.
Failure tax? Is that what marketers continue to pay to TV broadcasters? Yes, according to Mel ...
-
McCain Bill Would Upset The TV System -- In Theory May 9, 11:01 a.m.
If Sen. John McCain has his way, the whole broadcast/cable eco-system will be turned upside real ...
-
Sharing Media Content: Still Good For Friends And Maybe Even Content Owners May 8, 2:16 p.m.
BitTorrent, the file-sharing service that has a bad rap because its technology gets mentioned in the ...
-
Old-School May Beat NewFronts For Young Viewers May 7, 11:51 a.m.
Young people may watch less TV these days, but they still watch a decent amount: 23 ...
-
Social Media Brings Quicker Results -- Good AND Bad -- For Summer Movies May 6, 11:57 a.m.
Movie companies, in their big summer and winter selling periods, seek films with a big bang. ...
Be the first to comment on "Departing Couric: News Anchors Have A Shorter Shelf Life -- With More Entropy "
Leave a Comment