Couric mocks Rather in pre-broadcast taping
Though battles between news anchors have historically been between rival networks, today's ripest feud is a purely CBS affair: Katie vs. Dan.
The rivalry took a humorous turn Thursday when a video was posted on the Web showing Katie Couric mocking Dan Rather while preparing to anchor a broadcast from Nashville, Tenn., last week.
While her CBS crew prepared for the Nov. 8 evening broadcast and makeup was applied to her, Couric mocked Rather. A video of Rather surfaced last month, showing the former “CBS Evening News” anchor obsessing over his appearance before a remote broadcast - particularly questioning the wearing of an overcoat.
“I'm going to be like Dan Rather on YouTube,” joked Couric, alluding to Rather by fiddling with her coat. “Geez, don't you think he deserves a little payback?”
She then added, laughing: “This tart is ready to go!”
Rather, who left CBS News in March 2005, in June referred to his successor as “a nice person,” but said “the mistake was to try to bring the `Today' show ethos to the ‘Evening News,' and to dumb it down, tart it up in hopes of attracting a younger audience.”
The video of Couric (http://tinyurl.com/2w6y6a) was posted by comedian Harry Shearer on MyDamnChannel.com, a video Web site co-founded by Shearer.
Letterman edges Leno in rerun battle
In the final count, the first week of the writers strike helped ABC's “Nightline” gain viewers but not enough to pull past its late-night competition.
But even in repeats, NBC's “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” and CBS' “Late Show With David Letterman” had more eyeballs - 3.87 million viewers and 3.96 million viewers, respectively.
The big news: The perennially second-place Letterman beat Leno, who fell from a season average of nearly 5 million viewers. The CBS comedian even surpassed his own season average of 3.8 million viewers.
Spears' ‘red light' video entered as evidence
The video of Britney Spears apparently running a red light with her children in the car was submitted into court Friday, a week after anyone with an Internet connection could judge it for themselves.
There was no word on the possible impact of the latest piece of evidence entered in the child-custody battle between the pop star and ex-husband Kevin Federline in a Los Angeles Superior Court.
Mark Vincent Kaplan, Federline's attorney, declined to comment after the closed-door hearing before court commissioner Scott Gordon. Kaplan also said Gordon issued a sealed order that he could not discuss.
- From wire reports
“I can't tell you what was discussed, I can't tell you what was in the papers, I can't even tell you what was in the order,” Kaplan said.
The paparazzi video, posted Nov. 9 on the celebrity Web site TMZ.com, shows the 25-year-old singer appearing to blow a red light at a Hollywood Hills intersection, taking a left in front of stopped oncoming traffic while cameras flash and someone yells, “Red light, red light!”
An unidentified witness who had been subpoenaed also appeared briefly at Friday's court hearing. His testimony was postponed.
The case is due back in court Nov. 26.
Sorrell Trope, an attorney for Spears, did not immediately return a telephone message Friday.
Federline has temporary custody of Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, because Spears has defied court orders. Last month, Gordon ruled that Spears could have sleepovers with her two boys if she has regular drug tests, childproofs her home and ensures the children are buckled into their car seats when she takes them on a drive.
He had previously suspended Spears' custody rights, ruling she engaged in “habitual, frequent and continuous use of controlled substances and alcohol.”
Driving has been an ongoing problem for Spears. In 2006, she was photographed driving with Sean Preston on her lap, and authorities visited her home to investigate.
Last month, she pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of driving without a valid license. A misdemeanor hit-and-run charge from an August parking lot crash was dismissed after she paid an undisclosed amount to the car's owner.
Spears, 25, and Federline, 29, were married in October 2004. The two have wrangled in court over custody issues since they split. Their divorce was final in July.
AP-ES-11-16-07 1940EST
The rivalry took a humorous turn Thursday when a video was posted on the Web showing Katie Couric mocking Dan Rather while preparing to anchor a broadcast from Nashville, Tenn., last week.
While her CBS crew prepared for the Nov. 8 evening broadcast and makeup was applied to her, Couric mocked Rather. A video of Rather surfaced last month, showing the former “CBS Evening News” anchor obsessing over his appearance before a remote broadcast - particularly questioning the wearing of an overcoat.
“I'm going to be like Dan Rather on YouTube,” joked Couric, alluding to Rather by fiddling with her coat. “Geez, don't you think he deserves a little payback?”
She then added, laughing: “This tart is ready to go!”
Rather, who left CBS News in March 2005, in June referred to his successor as “a nice person,” but said “the mistake was to try to bring the `Today' show ethos to the ‘Evening News,' and to dumb it down, tart it up in hopes of attracting a younger audience.”
The video of Couric (http://tinyurl.com/2w6y6a) was posted by comedian Harry Shearer on MyDamnChannel.com, a video Web site co-founded by Shearer.
Letterman edges Leno in rerun battle
In the final count, the first week of the writers strike helped ABC's “Nightline” gain viewers but not enough to pull past its late-night competition.
But even in repeats, NBC's “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” and CBS' “Late Show With David Letterman” had more eyeballs - 3.87 million viewers and 3.96 million viewers, respectively.
The big news: The perennially second-place Letterman beat Leno, who fell from a season average of nearly 5 million viewers. The CBS comedian even surpassed his own season average of 3.8 million viewers.
Spears' ‘red light' video entered as evidence
The video of Britney Spears apparently running a red light with her children in the car was submitted into court Friday, a week after anyone with an Internet connection could judge it for themselves.
There was no word on the possible impact of the latest piece of evidence entered in the child-custody battle between the pop star and ex-husband Kevin Federline in a Los Angeles Superior Court.
Mark Vincent Kaplan, Federline's attorney, declined to comment after the closed-door hearing before court commissioner Scott Gordon. Kaplan also said Gordon issued a sealed order that he could not discuss.
- From wire reports
“I can't tell you what was discussed, I can't tell you what was in the papers, I can't even tell you what was in the order,” Kaplan said.
The paparazzi video, posted Nov. 9 on the celebrity Web site TMZ.com, shows the 25-year-old singer appearing to blow a red light at a Hollywood Hills intersection, taking a left in front of stopped oncoming traffic while cameras flash and someone yells, “Red light, red light!”
An unidentified witness who had been subpoenaed also appeared briefly at Friday's court hearing. His testimony was postponed.
The case is due back in court Nov. 26.
Sorrell Trope, an attorney for Spears, did not immediately return a telephone message Friday.
Federline has temporary custody of Sean Preston, 2, and Jayden James, 1, because Spears has defied court orders. Last month, Gordon ruled that Spears could have sleepovers with her two boys if she has regular drug tests, childproofs her home and ensures the children are buckled into their car seats when she takes them on a drive.
He had previously suspended Spears' custody rights, ruling she engaged in “habitual, frequent and continuous use of controlled substances and alcohol.”
Driving has been an ongoing problem for Spears. In 2006, she was photographed driving with Sean Preston on her lap, and authorities visited her home to investigate.
Last month, she pleaded not guilty to a misdemeanor charge of driving without a valid license. A misdemeanor hit-and-run charge from an August parking lot crash was dismissed after she paid an undisclosed amount to the car's owner.
Spears, 25, and Federline, 29, were married in October 2004. The two have wrangled in court over custody issues since they split. Their divorce was final in July.
AP-ES-11-16-07 1940EST
The Citizens' Say
There are No comments posted.