CBS Wants "Seamless" Transition Into Evening News

Source: TV Week CBS is turning to its station affiliates to help bolster "The CBS Evening News With Katie Couric."

The network wants the local stations to transition seamlessly from their early newscast to Ms. Couric's show-mdash;meaning no intervening commercials or promotional spots.

With data indicating a third of viewers decide what they're going to watch next in the last seconds of their local newscasts, CBS wants to eliminate temptations that would lead viewers to choose something other than the flagship "Evening News," which sank to a record low of 5.96 million viewers two weeks ago.

"A seamless transition is the price of admission," Mr. Kaplan told affiliates gathered last week in Las Vegas for the 53rd annual CBS affiliates convention, where Ms. Couric made her second annual appearance to schmooze with local station representatives and to say, "I hope you'll keep watching." MORE