NEW YORK — Katie Couric signed off as “CBS Evening News” anchor for the last time on Thursday, thanking viewers for “coming along with me on this incredible journey.”
The first woman chosen to solely anchor a network evening newscast left on a high note, interviewing Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and leading the broadcast with an exclusive “60 Minutes” investigation on new doping accusations against cyclist Lance Armstrong.
Her next destination is likely to be ABC, where she has talked with executives about doing a daytime talk show and some work at the news division, but she has made no announcement about her future plans.
After several years at No. 3 in the evening ratings behind NBC and ABC, CBS had high hopes in 2006 when it persuaded Couric to leave NBC’s “Today” show and take over the anchor role. There was an initial burst of interest, but viewers rejected efforts at changing a news format that has lasted decades, and the broadcast slid back to third.
Couric’s newscast won awards, and she drew attention with newsmaker interviews, including a 2008 conversation with Sarah Palin, but it could never escape the cellar. The format also proved restrictive to Couric, who told former “Today” colleague Matt Lauer in an interview last month that “it might be nice to have a little more wiggle room for me to show a little more personality.”
Scott Pelley will replace her as the regular anchor, starting June 6.
