Networks Will Partner For Cancer Telethon

Evening news shows on their last legs

(NEWSER) - Evening network news, with or without Katie Couric aboard, is going nowhere, Ron Grover writes in BusinessWeek—then offers suggestions on what the TV giants should do to hook viewers:

• Make the news available on the viewers' time: Get big-name anchors on tape earlier, and put those newscasts online.

New ABC anchor is no Katie Couric, and maybe that's good

(NEWSER) - Diane Sawyer slid easily into the "ABC World News" anchor chair tonight, and really, were you expecting anything different? The second woman at the solo helm of an evening newscast "made a strong, if a bit over-animated, debut," writes Robert Bianco. She interviewed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, offered a shout-out to predecessor Charlie Gibson, and generally confirmed that she has what it takes. More»

Celebrities touched by cancer join historic 3-network telethon

(NEWSER) - Dozens of Hollywood's finest got together for a historic hour-long, three-network telethon in support of cancer research last night, reports AP. They included cancer survivors Elizabeth Edwards, Christina Applegate and Lance Armstrong, among several others, who made passionate pleas for funding to fight the disease. Cancer kills 550,000 Americans and 6 million worldwide each year—"the equivalent of 9/11 every two days," said Armstrong. More»

NBC made one last run at its old sweetheart

(NEWSER) - ABC has at long last officially announced that it's signed Katie Couric to host an afternoon talk show , beating out a last-minute push from NBC. In a statement , the network said it had a "multi-year, multi-platform" agreement with the former CBS anchor, that will also include appearances on all of ABC's other news shows. Details of what the New York Times calls "one of television's worst-kept secrets" have not yet been released, but Couric will be co-owner of the program and will share in the profits. More»

Broadcasters say 'overexposed' prez wastes valuable time

(NEWSER) - Networks are not happy about the primetime hour that President Obama's July 22 news conference took up, reports Howard Kurtz of the Washington Post. Rahm Emanuel called the top brass at all three networks to ensure they carried the event. The networks both resent the pressure and complain that they’re not getting their money’s worth. “There was nothing” newsworthy, says one CBS VP. “There hardly ever is these days.” More»