Moonves says Couric is staying

Katie Couric isn’t going anywhere. That’s what CBS Corp. Chief Executive Leslie Moonves told the staff of the “CBS Evening News” during a surprise visit to the newscast’s regular Friday midday meeting in New York City.

Accompanied by CBS President Sean McManus, Moonves expressed his support for Couric, who has been dogged by reports that she is contemplating exiting her post because of the newscast’s low ratings.

Executives hoped the upbeat pep talk would rally spirits internally and put to rest questions about Couric’s status. The question of whether the anchor will leave the broadcast will not be discussed until after the November election, at the earliest, network sources said.

Rick Kaplan, executive producer of the broadcast, said Moonves and McManus made it “exquisitely clear” that they are proud of the broadcast and have no plans to make a change.

“There was no ambiguity in what they said,” Kaplan said in an interview. “All of these stories are overwritten and overblown.”

According to several people who attended the meeting, Moonves told the staff that Couric is “your anchor” now and in the future. Couric thanked him for the show of support and called the news division “very much a family.”

-- Matea Gold