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CBS puts Katie Couric in prime time

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Hoping to create more buzz for her third-place newscast, CBS is handing anchor Katie Couric some key prime time real estate in the coming weeks.

On Jan. 28, the network will air a special edition of “CBS Evening News” at 8 p.m., hoping to catch the attention of viewers who have not sampled the broadcast before. A week later, Couric will anchor an hourlong Grammy special, featuring interviews with Justin Timberlake, Lil Wayne, Katy Perry and Taylor Swift. CBS broadcasts the Grammy Awards on Feb. 8.

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In a recent interview, CBS News President Sean McManus said he is convinced that if more people see the kind of work Couric is doing, they will be persuaded to tune in to her evening newscast.

“The main priority is to broaden the exposure of the CBS Evening News for people, because one of the things I’ve learned is that the more people that have an opportunity to see it, the more people seem to say, darn good broadcast,” McManus said.

Couric, who is halfway through her five-year contract at CBS, has enjoyed a recent bump in the ratings, but still lags far behind her competitors at NBC and ABC.

-- Matea Gold

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