Couric To CBS: Ad Buyer Reaction

TV Week’s Jon Lafayette writes: “A ‘CBS Evening News’ telecast anchored by the popular Katie Couric likely will not differ enough from the stuffy old anchor model to bring in new advertising money from products aimed at younger viewers, ad buyers said last week.”

“I don’t necessarily think it’s going to interject the daypart with new money,” Laura Caraccioli-Davis of Starcom Entertainment said, “because I still think it’s a targeting issue and I still believe that the nightly news in its current state still attracts a certain demographic that tends to be older, tends to be maybe slightly upscale.”

A spokesperson dismisssed the issue but “added that shortly after the hiring of Ms. Couric was announced, the network received calls from clients that didn’t otherwise spend in the evening news that were interested in doing so on Katie’s arrival.” More…