Breaking: "Meredith Vieira's shift to co-anchor of "The Today Show" was a smarter career move than Katie Couric's arrival at CBS Nightly News!" according to Forbes' annual ranking of the World's Most Powerful Women everyone in media.

And while Vieira pulled in at number 55, Couric ranked at a paltry 63, which was just good enough to place her three spots behind First Lady Laura Bush and just behind her arch nemesis, Diane Sawyer, who clocked in at 62.

Absent from the list was Vieira's former View co-host, Rosie O'Donnell, though it should be noted that Barbara Walters ranked 75th overall (and 12th in pay) on Forbes' "Celebrity 100" earlier this year.

Meanwhile, despite being able to bounce a quarter off her derrière, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice saw herself get "bounced" down to 4th place, losing the top spot to German chancellor Angela Merkel.

[WWD, Forbes]