Katie vs. Meredith vs. Rosie

Ok..........I have had a couple of opportunities to see each of these ladies in their new positions. I have to say......I am not surprised by the outcomes. I have given each of them a letter grade on how I think they are doing at this point.

• Katie Couric - Wow! What an improvement to the CBS Evening News! She has managed to carry over some of her bubbly personality while maintaining a composed professional delivery of national and world events. I have found her to be almost humble in her overall presentation of the news. I think having Walter Cronkite perform the opening monologue of the program was a stroke of genius. She is more than ready to carry on this legacy. B+
• Meredith Viera - Hmmm......I wish I could carry over the Wow! here too but I just can't. She has been on the Today Show for about a month a half. I saw her again this morning and even with the crew all around her (Matt, Ann and the weather guy) she lacks the bubbly, full of life persona needed to keep up with Matt, Ann and the weather guy. (what is his name!) Don't tell me that when Katie left she took all the excitement with her! Now granted, Meredith is great with the core news stories and she can put on a serious face with the best of them, but she lacks the laughter, amusement and quick witted jabs that her predecessor wielded daily. This is an entertainment morning show - Not 20/20, Dateline or 60 Minutes. Lighten up Meredith! C-
• Rosie O'Donnell - Wow........Rosie has had a lot of things bottled up since she had her own show! She is talking non-stop! While I find Rosie to be very funny and highly entertaining, it appears that she is having difficulty sharing the stage with three other women. I enjoyed Rosie more when she was a one-woman show. The other gals on The View seem to have a hard time getting a word in edgewise. Meredith was able to balance things out and had a bit more reserve when the other ladies were talking. I can just imagine if Star Jones had stayed around with Rosie on the program. Clearly, that would have been a nightmare because Star likes the camera as much as Rosie. Despite the non-stop talking, Rosie is hugely entertaining on The View and she has made the show more popular and entertaining. B