To me, Katie’s decision didn’t seem to make sense from a network standpoint either. Why would CBS pay 15 million dollars a year (for five years) for a woman’s talents—when they couldn’t use most of them? Having been a former news anchor, I can say how easy that job is—especially relative to being an out-in-the-field news correspondent. While you might do an interview here and there, participate in the day’s story covering decisions, and even travel to a war zone, as Katie did, at the end of the day, you are a teleprompter reader – no matter what anyone tells you. CBS clearly gambled that Katie’s fans would follow her. But the fact is all love in life is conditional. It’s Katie being Katie that’s so appealing. Not Katie being someone else.
So in hindsight, Katie took the job. She tried to make the newscast her own, changing its style to match her unique way of delivering the day’s events. Audiences were not impressed.
I should point out I met Katie about four years ago. I’d left my job at E! and really wanted to be an entertainment correspondent on The Today Show. I contacted her though a mutual friend and was shocked when we finally spoke and she said she love my tape. She said to come in and meet with her at Rockefeller Center—which I did a few months later. I can still remember sitting cross-legged on her office floor watching my tape together—giggling about the people I was interviewing and sharing personal and some rather off color stories! Long story short, the job never happened as Katie was at odds with the Executive Producer on Today and he didn’t take too kindly to her hiring suggestions (he later got fired—duh!). But suffice to say, I’m a huge fan of hers, and she definitely inspired me as an up and coming newscaster. She showed me I didn’t have to report feeling like I had a straight jacket on, but could actually show my personality and just be myself.
