The Katie Couric factor: media buyers rate the value of Dan Rather's anchor replacements in ratings and ad dollars.(AD Infinitum)

Broadcasting & Cable, January, 2005 by Mandese, Joe

No wonder CBS Chairman Les Moonves is interested in Katie Couric. With Dan Rather exiting the CBS Evening News amid a nasty controversy, Couric is the best bet to restore order--and ratings (see B&C, 12/20/04, page 3)--even if Moonves has to wait 16 months until her NBC contract expires. Couric has been called the $100 million woman, a reference to the rumored value, after incentives, of her five-year contract with NBC.

But the buzz on Madison Avenue is that she is worth even more to CBS. Several top media buyers say Couric could boost ratings enough to generate more than $100 million in incremental ad revenues over the next five years, making her the most lucrative candidate to helm the nightly newscast. One big reason is her draw with younger demos,...

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