The newscaster Katie Couric became last night the only woman to head an evening news programme on a US television network when she presented her first edition of the CBS Evening News.
Couric made her debut on an entirely new set. Her promotion marks a milestone for the networks, which are anxious to reverse a decline in viewers and recover their traditional position as the main news source in an age of 24-hour cable coverage and internet news.
Couric, who is a familiar face on US television after 15 years presenting the popular morning news show Today on the rival NBC network, replaced the veteran presenter Bob Schieffer, who filled in when Dan Rather retired last year.
After months of speculation about how she would match Rather’s trademark sign-off “Courage”, Couric opted for a simple farewell. “I’m Katie Couric. Thank you so much for watching and I hope to see you tomorrow night,” she told viewers.
Couric reportedly took a pay cut to take the CBS job. Her salary for Today was an estimated $15 million (£7.9 million) a year. (AFP)