Katie Couric to leave CBS Evening News

I see your point, but I'm not sure that this is really a "US versus everyone else" matter. It seems to me that it's more of a "US versus Northern/Western Europe" difference.

Television news in much of Latin America, for instance, tends to look very American. Many broadcasters from Eastern Europe (here's an example of local news from Romania: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tY1F5jl3AUs ) and Asia also go for bold, in-your-face US-style graphics and dramatic music.

And so does RTBF, a Belgian French language public broadcaster, where their television news bulettins recently refreshed its graphics. It even copied the spining logo of ABC World News with Dianne Sawyer. (Yeah, NOT that Australian one.)
http://gentv.be/visionner.php?video=7756

60 Minutes reporter Scott Pelley has been named as the new CBS Evening News anchor

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/05/03/eveningnews/main20059267.shtml?tag=breakingnews

I know nothing of him personally, but from what I've seen in the press he's well respected at 60 minutes. Let's hope he can bring CBS some much needed success in its news division.

Edit: Interesting the move's happening in June - Ann Curry and Natalie Morales are expected to become co-host and news anchor of NBC's Today respectively in June, while I believe that's the month Erin Burnett joins CNN.

Meredith is not leaving TODAY is she?

Apparently, in order to spend more time with family. A news conference was expected yesterday, but clearly other news dominated.

It'll be a shame - I do like Meredith. I also like Ann, but I'm not yet convinced she'll be anywhere near as effective. Natalie's also a bit bland, and her replacement (as co-host of the 9am hour) Savannah Guthrie will be completely wasted in that position, currently a (great) White House correspondent and co-host of The Daily Rundown.

Curiously, the New York Times says Ann had a clause in her contract after Meredith beat her to Katie's job (see, it all links!) that should she be passed up for promotion again, she could immediately walk away from TODAY and NBC. The last thing they'd want is to loose both women.

All technically speculation still, as NBC have so far declined to comment, but it's easily as widely expected as Katie Couric's departure and Scott Pelley's appointment both were.

Oh I see thanks. I watch Today online and it will be strange not to see Meredith there is she is leaving for a while. For me Anne has always been the news anchor, it just can't see it working if she becomes co-anchor with Matt.

I feel sorry for the likes of Russ Mitchell and Harry Smith who have been overlooked for the CBS Evening News. I always thought Harry would take over.

Curiously I've always thought Ann worked better as substitute co-host alongside Meredith than Matt - better dynamic somehow.

It's worth noting these transitions on here given how long the anchors have been in their posts - Ann has been news anchor since 97, I believe, Matt co-host for the same period and Al Roker the forecaster since around that same time. These changes are pretty significant.

I think it was widely assumed by CBS that Katie Couric would last a lot longer than she has. I'd be interested to know how long Diane Sawyer and Brian Williams stick around for, seeing as Couric and Charlie Gibson seemed to stick around a pretty short time compared to tradition.

It was assumed she'd have a whole legacy, as Rather and Cronkite before her had, not the case. As soon as her contract was up for renewal she didn't continue with it.

If only she took Bob Peterson with her, as she did when she came from 'Today'.

Re Today- Matt and Merideth have spent so little time together over the past few months anyone would think they were trying to avoid each other, either that or screen tests for potential replacements for the both of them as it is rumored that Matt might be leaving at the end of his contract in 2012. By this time we could be seeing a very different Today.

Tonight is Katie Couric's last CBS Evening News, if anyone cares. Her replacement, Scott Pelley, doesn't start until June 6th. Does anyone know if there are going to be set or other presentational changes made? Really not a fan of the current set at all.

Keep an eye open

Jeff Glor, Russ Mitchell and Bob Schieffer will be providing cover.