Diane Sawyer Does 'Fine' in Debut

New anchor is no everywoman, but ABC's winning the ratings war

(NEWSER) - Similarities between Diane Sawyer and Katie Couric abound, but the new ABC anchor is already beating her CBS counterpart. “Sawyer may be able to succeed where Couric hasn’t quite,” writes Los Angeles Times TV critic Mary McNamara, “blending the undeniable if troubling trend toward emo-journalism while still commanding the gravitas necessary for a serious news organization.” More»

'Evening News' anchor has brought all-time low ratings

(NEWSER) - CBS may part ways with "Evening News" anchor Katie Couric as soon as the January 2009 inauguration, and long before her contract expires in 2011, reports the Wall Street Journal, citing anonymous sources from both camps. Network executives are tired of all-time low ratings that began with the switch from Dan Rather to Couric in 2006—after an interim with Bob Schieffer, whose ratings Couric still hasn't bested, the Journal notes. More»

Passage of time has 'smoothed bumps on her resumé'

(NEWSER) - What Diane Sawyer has achieved as the second female solo news anchor is “more subtle” than Katie Couric’s ascendancy, writes Alessandra Stanley in the New York Times. Sawyer “is a gorgeous, glamorous television personality who got to the top job by waiting around,” Stanley notes. It has smoothed “bumps in her résumé that at one time seemed insurmountable.” More»

(NEWSER) - Diane Sawyer finally has the job she’s been waiting for, Rebecca Dana writes for the Daily Beast: “anchor of World News, the once towering, now considerably diminished evening broadcast.” But her renewed rivalry with Katie Couric and her struggle to hold on to Charles Gibson’s ratings will likely provide a “reason to watch the evening news next year.” Of course, the most salacious stuff has already happened. More»

Late newscaster's voice was to be dropped from broadcast

(NEWSER) - The voice of the late Walter Cronkite will continue to introduce the CBS Evening News, the New York Times reports. The network’s decision marks a reversal after talks with Cronkite family members, who were “very clear that if we continued to use his voice, they would consider it an honor,” said CBS News’ president. Cronkite’s voice has introduced the show since 2006, when Katie Couric became anchor. More»