Help Choose Dan Rather's Replacement!
Dan Rather will be leaving his anchor position at CBS Evening News. I haven't really gloated about this online, despite my dislike for what CBS News has become, mainly because I don't see any evidence that CBS is really going to fix anything. I mean, one clue that they are not really serious about change is that Dan Rather will be refocusing his time on 60 Minutes, the very forum that caused many of his most recent troubles in the first place.
Anyway, who should replace Dan? My gut feel is that they will choose some stiff who has put in his time for decades at CBS, but I don't think that will do much to improve ratings. What would? How about these suggestions:
Improve ratings approach #1: Finally get rid of the pretense that anchors are journalists rather than pretty talking heads. Hire Nicollette Sheridan, or maybe Terri Hatcher. Or, if you feel CBS News deserves more gravitas, in the Murrow tradition, how about Meryl Streep?
Improve ratings approach #2: Go with comedy. Bring in David Letterman from the Late Show to anchor the evening news. "Tonight, we start with the growing UN oil for food scandal. Uma - Anann. Anann - Uma." Or, if you want to segment the market differently, how about Tim Allen and the CBS News for Guys. Or, if CBS wants to keep hitting the older demographic - what about Chevy Chase - certainly he already has anchor experience from SNL.
Improving Credibility Choice: No one in the MSM really has much credibility left after the last election, but there is one man who would bring instant credibility to CBS News -- Bob Costas. CBS should hire him away from NBC, like they did with Letterman. Make him the evening news anchor. Heck, if Bryant Gumbell can make the transition to the news division, certainly Costas can.
Become the acknowledged liberal counterpoint to Fox: Hire Bill Clinton as anchor. Nothing would generate more buzz than that hire, and he is at loose ends anyway (and think about all those wonderful business trips away from home...) If Bill is not available, try James Carville. I might even have to watch that.
Let the public decide: Forget making a decision, and just create a new reality show like ESPN's Dream Job to choose the next anchor. Each week the 12 finalists can be given a new task. In week one, they have to pick up incriminating evidence about the President at a rodeo. In week 2, they have to forge a believable set of documents from the early 70's, and survive criticism from about 10,000 bloggers. They can kick one off the island each week based on the viewers votes.
Leave your own ideas in the comments section!
UPDATE #1
I want to expand on the idea in the comment below. I think it would be a great idea to just run "best of" news broadcasts when Dan is out, like they did during Carson's frequent nights off late in his tenure. The interesting part would be to see if anyone noticed.
UPDATE #2
Welcome Carnival of the Vanities. If your missed our Carnival of the Capitalists posts on reverse auctions and why Priceline really succeeded, see here. Or just browse around our most recent posts here. And, don't forget to vote in the 2004 Weblog Awards!
UPDATE #3
For a more serious handicapping of replacements, check out Rathergate.com and at RatherBiased.
Craig:
CBS should just recognize that the network evening news as we know it is a dying institution. They should just shut it down and play old Walter Cronkite newscasts. People would probably be more interested in old network news that current network news.
November 26, 2004, 6:42 pmMichael E. Hogelin:
How about Rush Limbaugh?? There would be an immediate audience of oh maybe 20 million or so...He is informed, professional, experienced and would be a refreshing change from the liberal bias seen everywhere except maybe from the Fox network!!
November 29, 2004, 12:16 pmDale Barber:
For the life of me I can't remember his name, but the guy on the Early Show.
November 30, 2004, 8:42 amHe's experienced and believable - has a very comfortable on-screen presence.
Richard B. Green:
I believe that Lester Holt at NBC would be the best choice CBS could possibily make.
November 30, 2004, 10:03 amBridgett Gidgett:
MATT LAUER!!!
November 30, 2004, 12:18 pmBridgetB:
Anyone but Matt Lauer. I love Bob Costas. I vote Bob Costas.
December 1, 2004, 1:47 pmJeremy:
I went with the instapundit. They could get the blog watchers....nah!
December 9, 2004, 1:38 amGarrick from Atlanta:
I would immediately call Tim Russert. News anchors are supposed to bring some credibility to the desk. They must also show us a lighter (friendly) side. These anchors are a part of our daily lives. I believe Dan Rather lost that...perhaps, never had it. Russert will shine in that role, as he does as host of NBC's Meet the Press.
December 9, 2004, 8:31 amJMJ:
I vote for Paul Magers, anchor for KCBS in Los Angeles. He is a great anchor and a class act in every way.
December 13, 2004, 3:03 pmHarpoLarson:
Paul Magers formerly of KARE11 Twin Cites is the man!
December 20, 2004, 7:02 pmDave Smith:
How about someone like Deborah Norville? I hear that she will be looking for a job after Tucker Carlson take her slot up on MSNBC, moving over from CNN's Crossfire.
January 12, 2005, 2:53 pmNathan W:
I vote Paul Magers, too! EASILY the best anchor I've ever seen...behind Tom Brokaw, of course.
January 13, 2005, 3:47 pmEarl Anderson:
Forget CBS They have become a non-believer for any thing.
January 17, 2005, 6:28 amDaniel Tillman:
I feel that John Roberts is the man for the job.
January 17, 2005, 12:50 pmWhy go looking for a nobody when John has anchor for Dan more than anyone and he knows his way around the White House. He is right for the job.
Of course he might not want the job and I can't blame him for that. Also he might improve your rateings, CBS could sure use a boost!
romans:
I vote for either Katie Couric or Tim Russert. I actually think Russert would be a logical replacement. FORGET NORVILLE!!!
March 8, 2005, 10:20 amjersey:
Bob Costas is definetly the best replacement for Rather. He's a professional.
March 9, 2005, 4:51 pmCole:
LESTER HOLT!!!!!!!!!! when was the last time we had a black man anchoring the national news?
March 10, 2005, 4:58 pmRoss:
An earlier poster mentioned "The Early Show"; I think that you were thinking of Harry Smith.
March 14, 2005, 5:57 amRoss:
Bob Costas would be a decent pick.
March 14, 2005, 5:58 amDeAnne:
Please not Katie Couric. Knowing what her colleagues think of her and how fearful they are of offending her, would anyone tell her the truth? She's too busy perfecting her Ms. American Pie image. I'm sorry but even Oprah has suffered her wrath and look what she did to Steven Cojocaru. I'm sorry but Katie needs to re-think her image and not on the news.
March 14, 2005, 9:11 pmAnne Kent:
I would definitely watch CBS News if Paul Majers was the anchor. I've watched NBC for 20 years but would easily make the switch
April 28, 2005, 6:55 pmPwolffie:
Paul Magers would be a fantastic replacement! I think he would be a huge help in getting younger viewers.
April 29, 2005, 12:37 pmMartin Barkley:
There's a guy on the horizon of breaking news on the cold case Dan Rather "made his bones" on.
April 23, 2006, 11:34 amJake Randall lives in Fort Worth and has broken the cover-up that has lasted since the '64 publication of The Warren Report. He might require some on camera training, but he's a decent writer and a relentless investigative writer. A good editor and savvy producer would be all that would be required. Top money, too, of course. He doesn't work cheap because he doesn't do a cheap job. He's a professional in every sense of the word.