This is the other shoe dropping. Ginger is taking the asshole with her (but, not yet, Matt).
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2011/05/couric-closing-in-on-deal-abc-with-an-afternoon-talk-show.html "One of the most high-profile media courtships may soon be consummated: Katie Couric<http://www.latimes.com/topic/arts-culture/mass-media/katie-couric-PECLB004188.topic>is closing in on a deal with Walt Disney Co.<http://www.latimes.com/topic/economy-business-finance/media-industry/the-walt-disney-co.-ORCRP017360.topic>'s ABC<http://www.latimes.com/topic/economy-business-finance/media-industry/television-industry/abc-%28tv-network%29-ORCRP000009600.topic>to host an afternoon talk show<http://www.latimes.com/topic/arts-culture/genres/talk-show-%28genre%29-GENRE000085.topic>. Couric, who anchored the CBS<http://www.latimes.com/topic/economy-business-finance/cbs-corp.-ORCRP002841.topic>Evening News for the last time Thursday night, would begin her new syndicated show in the fall of 2012, according to people familiar with the negotiations who were not authorized to speak publicly about them. Some of the major deal points have been hammered out, although there are still outstanding issues surrounding compensation. The agreement is not expected to be finalized for at least a week. Couric's contract with CBS ends June 6. CBS, which until a few weeks ago had also been vying to distribute Couric's proposed syndicated show, has the right to match any offer to Couric before her contract ends. The network has not yet waived that right, nor is it expected to make a counteroffer, said these people with knowledge of the situation. Disney Chief Executive Robert A. Iger<http://www.latimes.com/topic/economy-business-finance/robert-a.-iger-PEBSL000143.topic>has been "very involved" in the deal, the people said. He has been particularly interested in bringing Couric to ABC, in part, to fill the programming void that will be created by the departure of the queen of daytime TV, Oprah Winfrey<http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/television/oprah-winfrey-PECLB004206.topic>. Disney's ABC-owned stations carrry "The Oprah Winfrey Show<http://www.latimes.com/topic/entertainment/television/oprah-winfrey-show-%28tv-program%29-ENTTV00000003.topic>," which will broadcast its last episode Wednesday. "Speculation around Katie is exciting, but there is no new deal to announce," said Couric's spokesman, Matthew Hiltzik. Joining her in the new venture would be Jeff Zucker<http://www.latimes.com/topic/economy-business-finance/media-industry/jeff-zucker-PEBSL000391.topic>, former chief executive of NBC Universal<http://www.latimes.com/topic/economy-business-finance/media-industry/nbcuniversal-ORCRP00000211329.topic>, who started working with Couric in the late 1980s when he was a producer with NBC<http://www.latimes.com/topic/economy-business-finance/media-industry/television-industry/nbc-%28tv-network%29-ORCRP004494.topic>'s morning show, "Today." Zucker is credited with building "Today"<http://www.latimes.com/topic/arts-culture/mass-media/news-media/today-%28tv-program%29-ENTTV0000000717.topic>into a financial and ratings juggernaut, and his and Couric's career trajectories were closely tied for more than a decade. The new Couric show is expected to cost about $40 million a year to produce, according to someone with knowledge of the proposed terms. Couric and Zucker would have an opportunity to participate in the profits of the show. Couric raked in $15 million a year salary at the CBS Evening News, a lofty amount that was criticized at a time when CBS was paring its news operations. Despite the high salary and expectations, she failed to pull the newscast out of third place. (SNIP) Couric's team has long wanted to build a show that would reunite Couric and longtime "Today" show co-host Matt Lauer<http://www.latimes.com/topic/arts-culture/mass-media/news-media/matt-lauer-PECLB002940.topic>. There were internal discussions within Disney about whether to postpone the debut until 2013, when Lauer would be available. His NBC contract expires in December 2012. Inside Disney, the operation to land Couric has been code-named "Ginger," said a person with the knowledge of the matter. Executives quip about the importance of the pairing, joking that "Ginger" would need its "Fred" for the show to take off. (SNIP)" On Thu, May 19, 2011 at 8:25 PM, PGage <pga...@gmail.com> wrote: > On Fri, May 13, 2011 at 5:57 PM, M-D November <mdnovem...@gmail.com>wrote: > >> Oh, good. Cancel all world news for Thursday, May 19 - Katie's leaving >> and needs the 30 min to look back fondly! >> >> Ugh. I'm sorry - a ego-stroking 'retrospective' might be appropriate when >> you spend a decade+ on a 2-hour morning show with lots of Wacky Hijinks(TM), >> but not for an evening newscast. >> > > > http://gawker.com/5803743/watch-katie-couric-sign-off-of-the-cbs-evening-news-for-the-final-time > > It was only 5 minutes ("Five Years in Five Minutes") - but it did a great > job of capturing Katie's brand of me-journalism. Two illustrative elements: > In the first part, prior to the music video portion, she ends it with the > recent royal wedding, not the announcement about bin Laden - that really > captures the "Today-ification" that she tried to bring to the Evening News; > her sign-off thanks her viewers for joining her on the incredible journey - > illustrating how her intent really is to be a personality that viewers > identify with, rather than just a reporter of the day's events. > > The Katie-cast got much better over time - mostly as it became more like a > traditional network newscast. Even so, the idea of having Katie Couric > anchoring the Evening News was a huge mistake; she was not well suited to > the role, and clearly never thought she was. What she thought she could do > was reshape the Evening News into something that she was well suited for - a > kind of personal video blog for each week day. She will be much better > suited for the next thing she tries - some sort of Oprah Walters hybrid on > ABC. Meanwhile, CBS News seems to be headed in a better direction - less of > a cult of high wattage, high profile, high cost personality, more of a focus > on reporting the news in no nonsense fashion. If the broadcast evening news > format is going to morph, it will be better if it moves in the direction of > some kind of 60 Minutes hybrid, not Today Show hybrid. > -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to tvornottv@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to tvornottv-unsubscr...@googlegroups.com For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en
