Katie Couric Turned Down "Early Show" Offer, Suggested Replacing Larry King In Meeting With CBS Executives

Two reports — one from the Los Angeles Times' Matea Gold, and one from the New York Times' Bill Carter and Jacques Steinberg — reveal that Katie Couric turned down an offer to move to the similarly-ratings-troubled "Early Show" and that she suggested that she might replace Larry King in a meeting with CBS executives and her agent.

The Los Angeles Times paints the picture of a very discontented Couric looking to get out of the situation that is "not what [she] signed up for." From the paper:

Frustrated by the program's performance, Couric discussed the possibility of leaving her post several months ago with CBS Corp. Chief Executive Leslie Moonves and CBS News President Sean McManus, according to people familiar with the conversations.

In their talks, which centered primarily on ways to bolster the newscast and Couric's profile, the anchor and the executives agreed to table discussion about her future until after the November election, said the people, who stressed that no decisions have been made.

"The reality is, it's not the newscast she came to do, and she's disappointed," said a network source close to Couric. "But she's one of those people who says, 'This isn't what I signed up for, but for right now, I'm in it 190%.' "

After the presidential inauguration next January, Couric may consider leaving if the ratings haven't improved, said the source, but added: "She's in the here and now, and focused on right now."

The New York Times has more details about the meeting where these discussions took place:

The discussion took place in New York on Feb. 28 and involved four people: Ms. Couric; her agent, Alan Berger of the Creative Artists Agency; Sean McManus, the president of CBS News; and Leslie Moonves, the chairman of CBS. The meeting took place in Mr. Moonves's office.

The conversation included what one participant said was some "idle talk and musings" about the big question hanging over CBS News: should Ms. Couric leave her position as the news anchor after the presidential election, a development that had long been rumored.

No one involved in the meeting or briefed on its particulars would be identified for attribution because of the delicate nature of the talks. But Ms. Couric discussed several things she might do if she left the anchor post, according to the executives, including a daily talk show to be syndicated by CBS, or replacing Larry King in a prime-time position on CNN. (Ms. Couric was said to have dismissed out of hand the suggestion that she could return to morning television on the network's perennially troubled "Early Show.")...

Another associate said Ms. Couric would hardly have to worry about a new job, no matter what happens at CBS. "She'd have a job in five minutes," the associate said.

But it might not be Larry King's job -- a position that executives who were present at the February meeting in Mr. Moonves's office said she discussed as a possible exit strategy. Ms. Couric is close personally with Mr. King's executive producer, Wendy Walker Whitworth, and Mr. King's latest contract will expire next summer -- seemingly perfect timing for Ms. Couric to step in. But an executive close to Mr. King said CNN would soon extend his contract at the network.

Previously: Katie Couric Likely To Leave CBS, Says Report; CBS Denies

Comments

[lazlogasky]

If she goes back to morning slot, CBS will win but I don't think she needs to leave the EVENING NEWS. She just needs time.. then she''ll win the battle

[pithymaxim]

she lacks intelligence

[Pippenfan10]

Couric does for the news what Rachel Ray does for food...lowest common denominator

[InofTouch]

so food lower your IQ....I remember that next time?!?

[Alvin4NY]

Look, I'll take Katie Couric over Barbara Walters, Diane Sawyer, Connie Chung, and any of the Barbie Doll Figures they have on Fox. The Evening News Broadcast is a DYING part of Television. People know newscasters are now just Business lobbyists, and we have to get our news from other sources. For what she did, Katie presented a decent half hour, one who's ideas and concepts for were decided upon by many factors. Trying to lay it all at her feet is stupid. The Today Show has never been the same without her, and for over a decade her and Matt kicked ass, and beat the competition. That must be it; "it's lonely at the top. "

[InofTouch]

People are mostly attacking her personality at first and formost....People forget that she was a reporter in her career like during her time in CNN in the 80s and reported over berlin wall. Of course people even with modern technology tend to forget there history and since she been on the desk on Today....People mostly know her from that and judge her from that to the point that it become a stereotype to use against her. Let face there proof on this site that people didn't like this from the get go and people have been dumping on her because of that FreeSpeech segement with rush limbaugh that the next day Katrina vanden Heuvel was gave her own segment...It on Itunes if you don't believe me. While there is some true criticism that can be given about her...Most of it anger over to the point like this post below me become somehow raw hatred over someone...It things like that scare me that maybe there is no such thing as peace on earth but that another topic.

One thing I laugh is Charles Gibson came out of the same group as couric where both spend alot of time in the morning news show and got the big break and some how he getting the glory, even though what left of it in this day of age an her she being label a scapegoat.

[NuAgeDok]

You made an honorable attempt to act as an apologist for Couric and you deserve respect for that. The problem is that Couric is simply too slow-minded and she can't think on the air.

Example; In her interview of Petraeus last week, she said "54% of the American people are not in favor of the war in Iraq . . . (pregnant pause) . . . that is obviously over half of the American people."

That kind of sophomorish comment in the middle of a important interview where every word is critical - is the kind of idiocy Couric displays all of the time. Her newscast has failed not because of sexism or general malaise in the evening news business - but because no one can take a light weight like Couric seriously.

[souris]

..............when one signs on to a "news show", what exactally dooes one do except a newscast?? What the hell did she think "CBS Evening News" meant???? Face it, perky one, you demonstrated the "Peter Principle" right before our eyes............now just STFU and go away!!!

[verlaine]

Katie Couric didn't fail because she's a woman. She failed because she flat out STUNK.

If Les Moonves has any gray matter left between his ears he'd consider an accomplished woman journalist to replace Couric such as Judy Woodruff, Lesley Stahl, Margaret Warner, Gwen Ifill, Andrea Mitchell, or Cynthia McFadden

[brigitte]

what makes her think she'll do any better as larry king's replacement. quite frankly, i cant stand katy couric and the less i see of her the better.

[verlaine]

Les Moonves' decision to hire Katie Couric to anchor the CBS Evening News will rightly go down in history as one of the dumbest business decisions of all-time alongside Ford's introduction of the Edsel and Coca Cola's introduction of New Coke.

Couric is a star not a journalist. Instead of blowing millions of dollars on publicity for Katie, Moonves should have spent that money on beefing up CBS' foreign news bureaus.

Moonves has turned the Tiffany Network into the Excrement Network and should be fired along with Katie

[VOTER]

GOOD GRIEF, COURIC!

RETIRE!!!!

[MyThought]

I hope she just goes away - I can't stand her nazally, whiny voice.

[InofTouch]

So you don't turn-off any of your technology because apprently you live with her twenty-four/seven

[AdultFilmLegend]

I have never seen the show. Nobody has. Maybe she really kicks ass. We'll never know.

[CAMBEL]

I love it how Katie somehow seems to be acting as though she has nothing to do with this. Um...Katie, you were specifically brought in there because they thought you could up the ratings. You couldn't. If you want to move on then that is fine, but don't try to pretend that you are a naive innocent TV virgin here. You have been in the business for decades, have great lawyers and were dying to get into that news chair. You are at least an equal partner in the failure of the show.

[enoughalready13]

AMEN. Maybe she should have done some research, thought it through, or analyzed the opportunity versus the pay check when she signed up. Nightly news is not doing segments on cooking, dressing up for Halloween, or talking to school children. Wake up Couric, you have no one to blame but yourself. Good riddence!

[ReelBusy]

Actually you can also lay blame/credit at the feet of TV viewers who didn't watch while CBS pimped her out to turn their nightly news into a Access Hollywood hybrid.

It didn't work and that's a good thing.

Congratulation's to you all!

[DennyCrane]

CBS execs have no one to blame but themselves. They hired a celeb instead of a journalist and expected her Today show audience would follow her wherever she went. It's like the movie studios who pay $20 million for some actor thinking everyone will come see their movie and then to their surprise, the movie bombs. CBS got what it deserved for making such a stupid business decision. And Couric got exactly what she signed up for. In fact, she got an incredible deal. A huge salary, evening news anchor, managing editor, and even a spot on 60 minutes. Pretty good for someone who used to be on a morning show doing cooking segments. It's not CBS' fault that viewers think she's a lightweight. It's not a gender thing either. She's just not someone you take seriously. It certainly didn't help things when on her first show as anchor, she ends the show by asking the audience to give her a clever sign-off. Would Walter Cronkite or Edward R. Murrow do that? Kudos to Couric for jumping on an opportunity that doesn't come along very often and for negotiating an incredible deal. But shame on you for blaming the network for your own failings as a journalist.

[RyanK111]

So what did she sign up for? To do a HIGH RATED Network News show? Isn't she partly responsible for guiding the show to success. This smacks of someone who joined a team, found she couldn't lead it properly, and then runs off for greener pastures. Something tells me she's not the type to blame herself first. But I could be wrong.

[NoSillyName]

There's always that Weathergirl gig in Podunk Somewhere. Talk about the Peter Principle!

[lalalolo]

Nope. Too old and un-attractive.