A Final Showcase

CBS has done it again and I am not referring to another CSI spin-off.

First it was CBS news anchor and 60 Minutes correspondent Dan Rather who announced his retirement leaving a large gap in the anchor seat. Since CBS did not bother to prepare a replacement, the network has yet to make progress in the news department.

From the Associated Press, “Her (Katie Couric) average audience of 7.3 million viewers left the CBS Evening News 1.1 million behind ABC's second-place World News. It was the biggest gap between the two broadcasts since the week of Feb. 6, according to Nielsen Media Research. NBC's Nightly News led the way with 8.9 million viewers last week.”

Now CBS seems to be in the same boat with their #1 game show, The Price is Right. After 35 years of dedicated service to the show Bob Barker will be offering his last contestant showcase this year. If the owners of the show commented that they have been “looking” for a replacement for two or three years, when does their plan become a bit more aggressive? Is just “looking” how CBS prepares for the future?

How is CBS preparing a replacement? Without any visible prospects of a competent host in the near horizon, will the Price is Right take the same downward spin as the news department?