Katie Couric spit-polished her standing among her media peers when she conducted a condescending chat with then Vice President candidate Sarah Palin in 2008.
Today, Couric’s much ballyhooed talk show teeters on the edge of cancellation in large part because she can’t connect with women.
The Hollywood Reporter says the show’s renewal for a third season “seems a long shot.” Ratings have been disappointing so far, the show’s bulky budget is a factor and the host seems disinterested in what should be a key demographic–women who watch daytime TV.
She has a complete and utter disdain for the audience she needs to appeal to,” says one former employee. “In her mind, the Today show was [the model] — professional women getting ready for work. Anyone home after 9 o’clock are people she has no interest in appealing to. But she also loved the $20 million paycheck.
The numbers underline that disconnect between Couric and women, something that would be hard to change in the coming weeks.
The Q Scores company reported in September that only 10 percent of women view Couric favorably, while 21 percent view her in a negative light. By contrast, daytime leader Ellen DeGeneres has a 29 percent positive Q score and 14 percent negative.