The Rise and Fall of Katie Couric (err...Evening News)

I've written about topic a lot. Which is surprising, given it's status of going into oblivion.

Right next to me is a graphic from the New York Post. I don't know if I'll get a cease-and-desist letter yet, but I may as well credit their work.

Everyone has written about how Katie Couric has chased away viewers from the evening news. Actually, forced them to go elsewhere. That is quite obvious from the black line (no surprise in picking a color here!)

But, lets assume that viewers are going to other networks. Fair enough.

Note that viewership of the other two networks has essentially fallen! In addition, note that viewership of the network news, essentially at 22.5 million in September 2006, is now about 21 million. That is a five percent decline in nine months.

What's happening? These viewers are going somewhere - to the grave.

Right now, I figure the networks like their 6 pm newscasts because old people watch it like clock work. And they are still buying the products advertised on the networks - mostly old peoples' medicines. So what's going to happen when they are in nursing homes and can no longer make decisions about what to purchase? The networks are not going to get new viewers. Advertisers are going to eventually have to stop advertising.

And, one of these networks is going to have to be first to pull the plug.

At one time, the evening news was the hallmark of being a major network. Indeed, Rupert Murdock is thinking of starting the Fox Evening News (he may want to reconsider with these numbers). Now, networks are increasingly irrelevant to peoples' lives. If the networks can only get a combines 21 million viewers, that only just exceeds the average listernership of Rush Limbaugh's audience each week. He might be falling as well, but at least he still gets plenty of fresh new listeners. 21 million individuals is only around 7% of the American population.

Because they are so far left, this blog is happy to be the deathwatch of Evening News. I can hardly wait for the day when one network - possibly CBS - figures out it is time to pull the plug.