CBS is catching up to NBC and ABC with today's TCA press tour announcement of a "multi-platform strategy" for the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric. Here are the elements of the strategy, in a timeline format:

> All day: "Interactive Daily Blog:" "Will be updated frequently throughout the day" by correspondents and others. "Couric and the Evening News team will create a transparent, two-way, continuing dialogue with viewers and readers that encourages online comments and questions."

> Early afternoon: Web-exclusive rundown: "Early each weekday afternoon, Couric will offer a web-exclusive rundown on-camera from the newsroom -- a first look at the stories being considered for coverage on that night's" evening news. It'll be on CBSNews.com and Verizon VCast.

> By mid-afternoon: "Daily Digital Reports:" "A daily, on-demand web-exclusive feature will provide extended interviews with the day's newsmakers hosted by Couric and conducted by her or a CBS News correspondent." Three to four minutes in length. Video podcast-able.

> 4:25pm: "Katie Couric Reports:" It's a one-minute look into a top story or issue by Couric and it'll be available via radio, Internet and wireless.

> 5pm: CBS Radio News: Couric will anchor the 5pm newscast.

> 6:30pm: The first segment of the CBS Evening News "will be simulcast by CBS Radio News and made available to its more than 500 affiliated stations around the country." WCBS-AM, WTOP, and WBZ have already signed on.

Click continued for the press release...


July 16, 2006

“CBS EVENING NEWS WITH KATIE COURIC” TO EMPLOY MULTIPLE-PLATFORM STRATEGY WHEN IT DEBUTS ON SEPT. 5

When the CBS EVENING NEWS WITH KATIE COURIC debuts on Tuesday, Sept. 5 (6:30-7:00 PM, ET/PT), the broadcast’s viewers will be able to watch and listen to it, as well as a variety of related programming, on television, radio, Internet and wireless platforms, it was announced today (16) by Sean McManus, President, CBS News and Sports.

“Given the rapidly evolving ways consumers get their news, a key element of our planning for the new broadcast has been to make its content available to as many people as possible in as many practical ways as we can,” said McManus. “We’re excited about what we’ve developed so far, but this is only phase one. We expect to make more announcements as we get closer to the debut of the program. Our goal is to make it possible for our audience to get its news from CBS wherever they are – in their homes, in their cars, on their computers or on their cell phones. CBS News will be there.”

Among the offerings will be:

Daily Digital Reports -- A daily, on-demand web-exclusive feature will provide extended interviews with the day’s newsmakers hosted by Couric and conducted by her or a CBS News correspondent. The segment will be posted on CBSNews.com by mid-afternoon and will run approximately three or four minutes in length. This report will available for video podcast and will be sent to all CBS Radio News affiliates around the country for broadcast and/or podcast.

In addition, early each weekday afternoon, Couric will offer a web-exclusive rundown on-camera from the newsroom -- a first look at the stories being considered for coverage on that night’s CBS EVENING NEWS and some perspective on what is going on in the world that day. Correspondents may join her to talk about the stories they’re reporting for the broadcast. This on-demand video clip, updated as needed, will be featured on the CBSNews.com home page and on Verizon VCast. The current web-exclusive edition of the CBS EVENING NEWS, anchored by Couric, will continue to be available on CBSNews.com.

CBS EVENING NEWS WITH KATIE COURIC Interactive Daily Blog -- The blog will explore the day's developments through links to exclusive, free video, as well as contributions from CBS News correspondents around the world, and will be updated frequently throughout the day. Couric and the EVENING NEWS team will create a transparent, two-way, continuing dialogue with viewers and readers that encourages online comments and questions.

Unprecedented Radio and Cross-Platform Coverage – For the first time ever, the first segment of the CBS EVENING NEWS will be simulcast by CBS Radio News and made available to its more than 500 affiliated stations around the country. Already committed to carry the simulcast are some of the most respected all-news stations in the country, including WCBS-AM in New York, WTOP Radio in Washington, D.C., and WBZ in Boston, among many others.

Additionally, “Katie Couric Reports,” a one-minute look into a top story or issue by Couric, will be available via radio, Internet and wireless beginning on Sept. 5. The report will be fed by CBS Radio News at 4:25 PM, ET, each afternoon to its 500-plus affiliated stations across the country and will be available as an audio podcast for their local web sites. It also will be featured as an on-demand video clip on CBSNews.com and will be available on Verizon VCast phones and as a video podcast.

Couric will also anchor CBS Radio News’ 5:00 PM, ET newscast. This key, afternoon drive-time newscast is one of the most listened to nationwide.

The CBS EVENING NEWS is broadcast on the CBS Television Network. Rome Hartman is the executive producer.