A long time ago in a media world far, far away, Katie Couric was once seen as a competent, likable, down to earth co-host of NBC’s “Today Show.” She was appealing, smart, and accessible,
But success ruined Couric. Over time, she became a Media Diva and a divisive, hysterical left-wing partisan. Whatever your politics, it is impossible to dispute that Couric went Hollywood — and narcissism is never pretty (or perky).
In the wake of her chilling metamorphosis, Couric has only met failure. Her stint as the anchor of CBS News was a major humiliation. But her latest endeavor, a daytime talk show, is making Couric’s time at CBS look like the glory days of a fast-fading career:
“While all television is going through a difficult time and programming is having a hard time finding its niche, Katie’s new talk show does not live up its expectations,” a source closely connected to the ABC show told FOX411’s Pop Tarts column. “Whatever constraints Katie experienced anchoring ‘Evening News’ [it is] certainly taking its toll, and her return to daytime has backfired.”
Others in the industry are even less kind.
“It’s an unmitigated disaster,” one seasoned studio executive said. “One of the biggest failures ever in syndication. Terrible ratings, no growth, shouldn’t be on the air. Where did it miss the mark? Let’s start with her, she is dreadfully boring. The show offers nothing new to the audience, nothing to say.”
When “Katie” launched in September 2012, and many expected that Couric would fill Oprah’s shoes as the ultimate talk show Queen, and although the show is number one in the ranks of first-year talk shows in terms of ratings, it has endured an erratic, overall underperformance. Nielsen Media Research reported that in mid-May Couric’s show averaged a 1.6 rating/5 share average in households, down 30 percent from the same time period last year.
You can read the full report here, which states Couric is almost certain to be cancelled or replaced in season three.
Katie Couric’s audience didn’t leave her; she left them.
Follow John Nolte on Twitter @NolteNC
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