As was expected, a barrage of articles, blog posts, commentary pieces and columns Tuesday marked Katie Couric's much-hyped debut as the first woman to be solo anchor of a major network newscast (and comments about everything from her delivery style, story choices, and flow between stories to her hair and choice of blazer).
And while only time will tell how she will fare in terms of attracting new viewers and keeping existing ones, there are a couple of newscast-related items worth noting now. In the spirit of 24/7 access, the CBS Evening News is getting simulcasted online and is available for on-demand viewing afterward at CBSNews.com. From Red Herring: “…the affiliates know that the web and mobile networks are robbing traditional TV of some of its long-held riches. TV is still the centerpiece of home entertainment in the U.S., but the web is providing stiff competition.”
And there’s also a blog written by Couric, “Couric & Co." From her September 5 post: “We’ll be swapping stories, sharing opinions, asking questions and generally just taking stock. In the little village that is CBS News, you might consider ‘Couric & Co’ the coffee house on the corner, where something is always brewing.”
The bigger issue brewing revolves around the changing delivery mechanism for news. Gone are the days when people sat down each evening to watch the news. Our need for on-demand access to content – when convenient for us – is where the Internet comes in. I’m wondering how many people will access the simulcast version and if we’ll eventually see a day when the number of people watching the newscast on the web is equal to (or greater?!) than those viewing the televised version.
Comments