Wednesday, August 30, 2006
The Coming of Couric
The embarrassing, horrendously expensive hype surrounding Katie Couric's ascension to the role of meaningless figurehead of a large corporation leaves you feeling CBS doesn't feel very confident about this woman. Couric is actually an excellent interviewer, pursuing points other blank faced news-heads allow to evaporate. But her breaking, squawky-metallic voice and nervous energy isn't going to sit well over the long run. I think the bright Ann Curry, with a fine speaking voice and a simple beauty should have been CBS' choice for a comfortable-to-watch news reader.
CBS will be replacing a mature, genial Bob Schieffer, a guy who was a quick-replace after the skidoo given Dan Rather — and unexpectedly hit gold, Schieffer was very popular and raised the ratings — with a woman whose speaking voice would have the same effect on Kramer as Mary Hart's abrasive shout: Kramer would have an epileptic fit listening to Couric.