Couric To CBS: You Can’t Put Her In A Box

Goodbye, “pretentious era” of the evening news anchor. Hello, “humanistic, more accessible” approach. That was Katie Couric‘s message at the annual convention of CBS affiliates yesterday, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Couric quotables:

> “As much as I love doing ‘Today,’ there’s only so much I could do — only so many interviews about hormone-replacement therapy and so many fashion shows.”

> “We need to be more level with viewers and explain the issues in a plain-spoken way.”

> “Anyone who watches ‘Today’ knows that I’ve done more hard-hitting interviews than any evening news anchor.”

> “The audience is more sophisticated than we give them credit for — they don’t want a mechanical Ted Baxter. I’m a serious, caring, compassionate person. I hope that comes out… People want a multidimensional (news anchor) and not someone they can put in a box.”