Putting to rest any notion that he's going to try to save the CBS Evening News, the network's news chief Sean McManus insists Bob Scheiffer is not returning to the anchor chair. [B&C]

The possibility of Kate Couric leaving the CBS Evening News after the November election or January inauguration wasn't yet supposed to be considered a real option, but that's what information leaked from a "wide-ranging discussion" about her future surmised. A Feb. 28 meeting between Couric, CAA agent Alan Berger, CBS News president Sean McManus, and CBS chairman Les Moonves was only supposed to put a list of options on the table; an early exit from her five-year contract was one of them, but certainly not the only possible outcome. But now the media gossips got wind of the story and, supposedly, may have already forced her into lame duck status, assuring her early exit.

As if it was that simple. Let's make sure CBS takes plenty of responsibility for the direction of the chattering class' conversation: They confirmed rumors that CBS was discussing the possibility of replacing Couric. And even if there were other options on the table, that's a typical "throw 'em under the bus" move from the tiffany network. If anything, it's CBS' own fault for framing the conversation that way. And don't think for a minute it was accidental.

It's been 10 years in the making: CNN might take over the bulk of news reporting duties for CBS News, leaving the tiffany network with a $15 million/year evening news anchor, a smattering of correspondents, and the best deniability clause should they manage to pull another Dan Rather. News gathering, as you might have heard, is terribly expensive, so CBS News chief Sean McManus, whose job it is to also oversee the much more cash-friendly CBS Sports, has been orchestrating a deal behind the scenes. It's still not a definite go, but should CBS begin outsourcing that little thing called news, we might finally put to rest all this The Early Show unrest: Just bring in a CNN producer.

Update: Let the denials begin. "Insiders" at CBS and CNN, while acknowledging there were conversations, say there's no plan to move forward with a deal.

"The Hudson Hotel bar should have a permanent booth for Early Show going away parties," says a CBS veteran, who reports another two staffers on the network's morning show quit this week, and there are more exits on the way.

It turns out Shelley Ross' departure hasn't been the panacea that brass tried convincing everyone, including the press, it would be. Even with interim executive producer Rick Kaplan at the A.M. helm, we're told "things aren't any better [there]. No former staffers have returned to CBS despite the media plants to the contrary."

So how come problems remain? Because of Ross' "mean girl" confidants are still on the inside, even though, we're told, they're the ones responsible for brandishing the largest, most serrated knives when it came to stabbing her in the back.

And look no farther than former Good Morning America colleague and Early Show EP hopeful Ben Sherwood and CBS VP of talent/development Barbara Fedida, who were both, reportedly, on great terms with Ross to her face, but not when she left the room. (Fedida worked in talent at ABC before CBS poached her.)

Fedida and CBS News chief Sean McManus, meanwhile, are taking heat from staffers for "hand pick[ing] one executive disaster after the next" without repercussion.

And that's easy to do when Les Moonves is asleep at the wheel.

"We’re getting a lot of positive signs," says CBS News president Sean McManus of the possibility his network will get a presidential debate on its airwaves. This, from the guy who previously orchestrated an arrangement where CBS wouldn't host a debate; while onlookers blamed his financial conservatism, he blamed programming schedules.

Now, it appears, any date is fine with him. Even Passover. Just give Katie a frickin' platform.

CONTINUED »

For those of you who picked up a copy of this week's New York magazine, thumbed through Katie Couric's laundry list of fears, anxieties, and complaints, got past the part where she admits to getting slap-happy with a subordinate, and paused over the part Couric actually cops to having second thoughts. But, you wonder, has she actually contemplated relinquishing her anchor seat for good, turning her back on broadcast journalism, and running for the hills, so as not to end up like Deborah Norville?

Fortunately, CBS news prez Sean McManus is (sort of) quick to nip that rumor in the bud.

CONTINUED »

In order to better understand CBS' ratings slump, USA Today and the New York Times previously rounded up spin comments from CBS News prez, Katie Couric and even legendary anchor, Dan Rather! But will Katie retain her trademark optimism even in the face of adversity? Apparently, yes!

These things don't turn around overnight. We're trying to do a smart, compelling, engaging broadcast. If you live and die by the ratings, it's really distracting and can turn you away from your mission, which is hopefully doing the best show you possibly can.

Meanwhile, Sean McManus put it all in proper perspective, reaffirming that there has "never been any discussion" about changing anchors. Not because Couric's $60 million contract has left the network strapped for cash, but because she's really, really good!

Surprisingly, however, it's former anchor Dan Rather who offers the most logical explanation for the present ratings decline.

CONTINUED »

Richard Johnson & Co. are expanding on a Los Angeles Times item yesterday that hinted CBS News is ready to announce a deal with Katie Couric. Sure, the media crits have been expounding on the idea for weeks and months, but Page Six claims the announcement could come "any day now." And when the Sixers spit it, you know it's gospel.

But the media movement doesn't stop there. ABC, not content to be completely forgotten about, is prepared to announce Charlie Gibson will take over Peter Jennings' old job, leaving Liz Vargas to swing in the 20/20 wind.

And most interesting to us, former Good Morning America and Primetime Live exec producer Shelley Ross will be responsible for ousting Rick Kaplan. She'll soon be sitting in his Secaucus office — and within weeks shouldering the blame for dismal Nielsens.

But back to Katie for a minute. If she does wave goodbye to her $13 million-a-year gig at NBC for a better paying anchor chair assignment and a flip-flopped sleeping schedule, it'll mean one thing in particular: CBS head Les Moonves didn't take Jon Friedman's advice to groom his own star. And that just makes us wish we had a heart to break.

Katie to CBS? [Page Six]
NBC's Couric May Jump to Rival CBS [LAT]
Related: Jon Friedman should keep his letters to himself

It's Sean McManus' first week as president of CBS News, taking over for pension-loving Andrew Heyward. Day one, we're assuming, he spent buoying the waters of conference calls — but yesterday, his second day as Les Moonves' plaything, he gathered the troops for some inspirational chatter.

McManus at one point noted, “If I didn’t think we could get it done, I wouldn’t have taken it because I certainly don’t want to be associated with anything remotely considered failure.”

Uhm, sweet pea? CBS News is in third place and, depending on who you ask, that's pretty much "remotely considered failure." And don't think that beating The WB's newscast counts this time.

But hey, we're loving your "wish list" that doesn't include an evening news anchor replacement.

CBS News Meets The New Boss [Public Eye]

• Some have the audacity to call the Peter Jackson's upcoming King Kong – at three-hours long and costing $207 million — bloated. [NYT]

• What's worse than reading the live-blog of Patrick Fitzgerald's Valerie Plame-related indictments? Reading the live-blog of Patrick Fitzgerald's Valerie Plame-related indictments when there, uh, aren't any indictments. [E&P]

• For a newspaper that's supposed to represent freedom of information, Boston Metro sure makes it difficult to get interviews with their staff. But perhaps that's because their "staff" is composed of wire report copy and pasters. [Boston Phoenix]

• Both Spin and Vibe magazines are on the sale block, but don't tell anyone about it. We're also pretty sure this is where Nick Denton issues an announcement that Gawker Media is not for sale. [Radar]

• Cookie magazine may look a little too similar to Child magazine with its fur-wearing fat baby on the cover, but rest assured that when the new Conde Nast baby title debuts next month, the baby will have had some liposculpting. [WWD]

• Jann Wenner isn't just a magazine publisher, he's also an interior decorator. And, like everything else he gets his hands in, he's quite the anal interior decorator. [Lowdown]

• Will & Grace's top act Megan Mullally has secured distribution for her upcoming talk show in the country's top four markets. Unfortunately for viewers, her whiny, high-pitched Karen voice is not actually how she speaks. [AP

• Sean McManus will not eat, sleep or breathe until he pulls CBS News out of third place. [AP]

Now that the question of Andrew Heyward's replacement at CBS News has been answered (read: Sean McManus), we've got a couple more serious issues to address in the TV news business. Luckily, the New York Times created this handy pull-out guide that we're guessing is also available as a wallet-sized laminated card.

¶Who will anchor the ABC evening news after the death of Peter Jennings?

¶Who will eventually take over the CBS evening newscast, if CBS will even have a traditional anchor format on the program?

¶Who will lead NBC News, which is still without a permanent president?

¶Will the long-running ABC News program "Nightline" be able to survive with an ensemble anchor team replacing the program's highly regarded anchor/patriarch, Ted Koppel?

¶Will the evening newscasts at each network be regarded as lesser programs in comparison with the far more profitable morning news programs like "Today" and "Good Morning America"?

And, most importantly, now that Mark McGrath is in his 16th minute as an Extra host, how's he going to top himself?

After CBS's Decision, Networks Face Many More [NYT]
Related: Andrew Heyward is done with CBS — officially

• Judith Miller is in talks with top brass at the New York Times over her future with the publisher — and options may include a severance package now that both Arthur Sulzberger Jr. and Bill Keller have reneged their support for their once-prized reporter. [WSJ]

• New York Daily News editorial director Martin Dunn expressed his fondness for his fading star gossipist: "Lloyd Grove is a fucking idiot. His page is stupid." We swear we weren't thinking the same thing. [Page Six]

• The merger between Village Voice and New Times will be most interesting because, of course, one is a union paper and the other is not. Oh, we forgot this: !! [NYP]

• Incoming Nightline exec producer James Goldston is bringing longtime correspondents John Donvan and Chris Bury on board (with hopes of Lisa Ling and CBS correspondent Byron Pitts as well) as part of a permanent four-person team, which has a collective goal of angering Ted Koppel enough that he rages in dualtone (at the very least). [NYO]

• Apparently, throwing together a host-less standardized radio format and then broadcasting the same thing in every city might end up sounding very "white." And the title "Jack" probably doesn't help. [Newsday]

• Doesn't anyone care that incoming CBS News head Sean McManus has exactly zero news experience? Anyone? [TVNewser]

It's not Brian Graden who's taking over at CBS News, but chief Andrew Heyward is definitely on the way out as expected. He's been on the job 10 years and now it's CBS Sports president Sean McManus who's on the way in.

But Heyward isn't exactly "taking off" like Steve Florio pretends to.

Heyward wrote to staff: "As for my own plans, I do not intend to “pursue other interests” or even “spend more time with my family,” wonderful as it is. I am going to remain fully engaged in the media business."

Once a media schlub who neglects his family, always a media schlub who neglects his famliy.

Change At The Top At CBS News [CBS News]
Earlier: Les Moonves is MTV-ifying CBS News
Andrew Heyward: CBS's black eye