A Little of the Old In and Out




In: CouricMania. Katie Couric Mania (tm) reaches its inevitable zenith this week -- or next -- when it is finally announced that the gummy smiling host heading towards CBS Evening News to become the first woman network anchor. Break out the post-coital cigarettes if you've got them, Chattering Classes. (The Corsair sparks a Cohiba Robusto) These are the last days, sadly, to catch a quick morning hit of The Katie's legs before traipsing off into the morning. Afterwards, we are pretty sure that the sober suits all up in Black Rock's bitch will keep all camera shots above the waist. Life, as JFK clearly warned us, is not fair.

Fox 411's Roger Friedman hints that Katie may even be doing "60 Minutes" stories, which is certainly a deal sweetener for Katie, who has been criticized, somewhat, for her lack of gravitas. We'd push for a catfight, but Leslie Stahl is way too classy a dame.

So ... Katie goes from Morning talk, which provides roughly 3/4 of the profits of the news division, to a prestigious -- if embattled -- Evening network news division. Ah, Prestige: It makes suckers out of all of us.

Let the musical chairs as to who replaces Katie on the "Today Show" formally begin.



(image via idontlikeyouinthatway via gawker)

Out: Cheekslip. Lindsay Lohan had an unintentional apple-sized "Cheekslip" moment at the Kids'Choice Awards in front of a crowd of 10,000 impressionable eyes after receiving an award for "Herbie: Fully Loaded." (Exaggerated cough suggesting feigned detachment) From the picture above, though, we cannot help but mention that the "tank" could not have been more than half-full.



Out: Sony BMG. Poor SONY; can't a hobbling record label get a break? It's like a week doesn't pass without some sad story surfacing about SONY. As if the state of the labels weren't enough of a downer (Labels vs. Steve Jobs), this, from Gatecrasher:

"Insiders say there could be recriminations at Columbia Records over Prince's album '3121,' whose distribution rights the label lost to Universal, now that it has topped the Billboard charts.

"One source says fingers are pointing at Sony BMG (Columbia's parent) President and COO Michelle Anthony, who is said to have had a falling out with the hip-high hitmaker after the company distributed his last album, 'Musicology.'

"The 'Purple Rain' singer sells his music through his own label, NPG Music Club, but uses larger industry players for distribution. After 'Musicology' hit No. 3 on the charts, it was widely expected that Columbia would be involved with his next project.

"'There are some very unhappy suits at Sony,' says a source."



(image via cbsnews)

In: Russ Mitchell. Who says anchors -- The Wise Men -- have to be silvery tressed white men to be credible as deliverers of the sobering realities of international news? In anticipation of The Katie Couric Pimp Move (tm), Black Rock is unveiling some more -- and flavorful -- additions. TVNewser hips us to the fact that Russ Mitchell will be CBS Evening News' Sunday anchor, suspiciously in time for Gawker's "sexy anchor" contest. (A considerable pause) Yeah, Sean McManus -- we'll be keeping an eye on you ... According to TVNewser:

"Russ Mitchell is now the one and only anchor of the Sunday edition of CBS Evening News, effective immediately, Sean McManus announced today.

"Mitchell will still co-anchor the Saturday Early Show. He's also one of the rotating anchors for the Saturday Evening News (along with Thalia Assuras and Mika Brzezinski.)

"McManus says: 'Russ is one of our most versatile anchors. He has more than earned this position, and I'm pleased to further raise Russ' profile at CBS News.'"

Congrats.