Katie Couric likely to leave CBS

Katie Couric, lured to the CBS News anchor position two years ago, will probably leave the job long before her contract runs out in 2011, the Wall Street Journal reports today.

Katie Couric

Couric had a huge following as co-host of NBC’s Today, but CBS News ratings have plummeted since she assumed the anchor chair.

The Journal notes that CBS CEO Leslie Moonves courted Couric by pledging to remake the show format to show off her talents. Her friends complain that the network never made good on Moonves’s promises.

Couric may find future employment at CNN, possibly as a successor to Larry King. CNN President Jon Klein is a friend of Couric, and an admirer of her work.

Update - 9:30 pm eastern

CBS released a statement regarding Katie Couric and the CBS Evening News:

“We are very proud of the ‘CBS Evening News’ particularly our political coverage, and we have no plans for any changes regarding Katie or the broadcast,” the network said in a statement.

A separate statement attributed to Couric said: “I am working hard and having fun. My colleagues continue to impress me with their commitment to the newscast, and I am very proud of the show we put on every day.”

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