1. I’m actually quite surprised that Katie Couric seems likely to leave CBS News so soon. True, she was never a great fit with the network and didn’t help ratings, which is why Les Moonves won’t stop her if she wants to leave. But as David Letterman told her, this is a job that people usually stay at for as long as they can. It’s really a sign of the declining prestige of network news, even as it still has more viewers than cable news. It used to be the highest position a TV reporter could ascend to; now it’s just not much of a job. Late-night talk show host is still a job like that, where people get to host a big show and then they want to stay forever; that’s why Letterman seems genuinely baffled that Couric could consider leaving.
1. I’m actually quite surprised that Katie Couric seems likely to leave CBS News so soon. True, she was never a great fit with the network and didn’t help ratings, which is why Les Moonves won’t stop her if she wants to leave. But as David Letterman told her, this is a job that people usually stay at for as long as they can. It’s really a sign of the declining prestige of network news, even as it still has more viewers than cable news. It used to be the highest position a TV reporter could ascend to; now it’s just not much of a job. Late-night talk show host is still a job like that, where people get to host a big show and then they want to stay forever; that’s why Letterman seems genuinely baffled that Couric could consider leaving.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqpixJPWErI
2. I don’t believe I’ve said much about John Stossel before; he doesn’t stand out at Fox Business as much as he did at ABC. His schtick (all regulations are useless and bad) is a bit one-note, but it was sometimes interesting and even enlightening on a show like 20/20. At his new home, he seems to get lost because everybody is doing anti-regulatory stories. But he seems to be trying to make more of a name for himself, and this may be the moment where he really gets back into the limelight again. Or not. But it is definitely one of the top Stosselisms of all time.