Couric Blames Local CBS Affiliates for Poor Ratings

Source: TV Week Katie Couric is hinting that she knows why her CBS “Evening News” telecast has struggled in the ratings. In an interview with The New York Times Magazine, Couric indicates the reason for her third-place finish among evening news broadcasts might have something to do with the local news lead-in on CBS stations.

Asked why she thinks her broadcast remains in third place, Couric responded, "I believe we were in third place for 13 years before I got here, and I think habits, particularly with an evening news broadcast, move at a glacial pace. And I think that local news stations have something to do with it."

But Couric backed off when asked whether she meant local affiliates weren't providing a strong enough lead-in. "Some people have said that local news is really important in terms of lead-ins,” she said. “I haven’t really analyzed that. I’m just saying what I’ve read or some of the theories about it."