TCA: Couric: I’m Staying at CBS Evening News
Katie Couric, CBS News president Sean McManus deny anchor’s departure.
By Marisa Guthrie -- Broadcasting & Cable, 7/18/2008 10:24:00 AM
Beverly Hills -- Katie Couric was unequivocal that her tenure on CBS Evening News will continue beyond the election.
"We have no plans to part company any time soon," Couric said during a Q&A session with reporters at the Television Critics Association press tour here Friday morning.
Couric's future as the anchor of the third-place nightly newscast was called into question earlier this year when word of a meeting with Couric, her agent and CBS CEO Leslie Moonves was leaked, kicking off a swirl of speculation that a dissatisfied Couric wanted off CBS Evening News.
"There were a lot of speculative [media reports] that got, quite frankly, spun out of control," she said. "We always assess how the show is doing and what direction we want to go in. Clearly, when you work for an organization, you have ongoing discussions. But I am very committed to the people here and very committed to the product."
When asked about an early exit for Couric -- who is less than two years into a five-year, $75 million contract -- CBS News president Sean McManus replied: "I can say and I have said that that's not true."
"We really are unbelievably focused on an enormous amount of work to do, not just in covering the election, but in covering the news," he added. "And it may sound naive, but we don't have time to focus on anything other than putting on the best broadcast we can. And I think we're doing that."
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