"Like all true artists, I was determined to bring my own mighty vision before the public, no matter what that effort might entail...Time and the public would prove me right, as they had so many times before." Bette Midler, A View from a Broad

Congrats to Katie and to CBS. After a fifteen year run on Today, a record, she leaves Today on top - the most successful (ratings and revenue) program in the NBC news division and in all of morning television. What is amazing are the early comments. The new 6:30 show might turn out to be a refreshing departure, a new beginning (or ending), a fine work of great television, however, online, the majority of comments I've read are negative. I say give the lady a chance. More on this later this evening...in the meantime...

Jeff don't like the hire, not one tiny bit, here (Jeff - not able to agree; also the DLR hire has nothing in common with the Katie hire - the former lacked any media experience - excepting your personal tastes). TV Newser is on the case, the usual suspects and more linked here. Poynter's Al Thompkins provides good coverage w/comments here

Way past the time it was first past the time to dump Andy Rooney and get the man on the Metro North headed home with his last check in hand. Rooney's comments re Katie with the Iman this morning were beyond the pale. Further, Rooney's best work is behind him, his recent writing fails to deserve his share of the show's oxygen. The man has become a bad imitation of a muppet. Enough; assign Jon Stewart an additional duty, to do the end notes on sixty (with the help of his fine writing staff).

Later - Jeff Jarvis does write stuff worth reading but now he writes re Katie...

"LATER: Judging from the comments, I clearly left out an important factor: People like Katie Couric. They really like her.

And I do mean that’s an important factor. Earlier anchors were not likeable and were not meant to be. They were supposed to be trusted, right?

Likeability is a new attribute of journalism."

And again, reasonable folks can disagree and I do. Likeability has been an attribute of journalism since the invention of choice. If readers, listeners or viewers don't like you they don't read, listen or watch you. "Early anchors were not likeable and were not meant to be" is not intellectually honest and it's nonsense. Come on Jeff, you know better.