DRUDGE: Limbaugh to Help Launch Couric’s First Week on CBS…

This just seems bizarre to me:

XXXXX DRUDGE REPORT XXXXX SUN SEPT 03, 2006 19:41:35 ET XXXXX

BUSH, CLINTON, LIMBAUGH, CRONKITE TO LAUNCH COURIC

**Exclusive**

Plans for the opening week of CBS EVENING NEWS WITH KATIE COURIC have surpassed network executives’ wildest dream: Presidents Bush and Clinton, radio king Rush Limbaugh and broadcast legend Walter Cronkite have all agreed to appear, a CBS insider reveals!

A top network source says scheduling of “guest editorials” are still in flux.

But the addition of Rush Limbaugh to the CBS EVENING NEWS is bound to generate maximum commotion and tune-in hits.

“It was Katie’s idea to bring Limbaugh in,” a top CBS source said on Sunday. “She is very excited he has agreed to appear.”

Rudy Giuliani and Bill Maher have also signed on for early editions of Couric.

CBS will issue a press release on Monday confirming details of the EVENING NEWS all-star line-up.

Developing…

Wow…they’re treating Katie like she’s a legend already. Two observations/questions on this:
1. How annoyed is Elizabeth Vargas who was bumped out of the anchor chair at ABC?
2. How pissed is Dan Rather? Not only does his career retrospective get buried in the CBS prime time schedule at a time when no one is going to see it, but now Katie gets welcomed in with the kind of fanfare he likely would have wanted for his exit.
Television news is about one thing these days: ratings. It’s a business and CBS has long been trailing behind their two other major competitors. Limbaugh commands the largest radio audience in the nation on a daily basis and this is CBS’ attempt to appeal to the “dittoheads.”
I’m surprised that Rush said yes, honestly. It will be interesting to see…
William Smith
ConservativeBlogger.com