GRADING KATIE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) September 7, 2006 -- "I thought it was a good newscast. From a political standpoint, I thought the first three or four stories were in keeping with the perceived leftward slant of CBS News.
"It was a good mix of heavy stuff and some light stuff. Maybe a little too fluffy the last half of the show. The sign-off piece at the end was kind of cute, but it got sophomoric when she said, 'Send in suggestions.' I didn't like that part."
Bruce DuMont
Founder of Chicago's Museum of Television and Radio

"It was more like the Compassionate News. There were a lot of smiles, and it was pleasant and engaging.
"It was far different from what they've had on before, but it's something that I would want to watch. I loved the stories they did, too. I'm really happy that I saw what Suri looks like. And I really liked that last story about the orphanage. It all played well with Katie's personality."
Marianne Murciano
Former WFLD-Channel 32 morning anchor who worked with Couric in Miami

"Stylistically, I don't see a big change. It was a soft show, a morning-like feeling in some respects. She got to strut a bit by having the interview with [Tom] Friedman. You got to see what she does well, and that's Q&A. And she read well.
"I think they tried to throw everything into the first show to the point where it came across as being a bit hokey."
Jon Petrovich
Northwestern broadcasting chairman, former CNN executive vice president
"I think she lost some credibility when she sat on the desk toward the end. I was like, 'I know you have awesome legs, Katie, and you're wearing a skirt, but maybe sit behind the desk.'

"I liked the freeSpeech thing. It was a bit '60 Minutes'-esque, but I could see that they were trying to reach out to younger people and people who don't normally watch the news, which was cool."
Dani Carlson
Former Northwestern News Network news director, recent graduate
"She walks over to an area and interviews an expert. So that injects analysis into the show, where it may have been present in the past. But this is better.
"Her strength is when she finds a story that she can smile about. So obviously they're going to play to a lighter fare, more compassionate with the orphans story, choosing those stories that play to that strength for her."
Bill Kurtis
Filmmaker, former CBS anchor

Source: http://www.yahoo.com