Last April, I wrote a perspective regarding the resignation of Katie Couric from her comfortable 15-year position as NBC’s Today show co-host. Couric made her debut last week as the lead anchor for the CBS Evening News. As a broadcast journalism major and self-proclaimed news junkie, I shared my thoughts with you on the changes to network news. So it seemed only necessary to sum up Couric’s first week as the first ever female network news anchor.

At least on her first night Ms. Couric proved me wrong in my predictions. I had predicted that CBS would not be able to pull ahead of NBC and its number one rated news show Nightly News with Brian Williams, but I was wrong. According to Nielson ratings ‘Couric ‘ Co.’ — as they have now titled themselves — attracted almost 6 million more viewers than NBC last Tuesday. After a long summer of hype over what the evening news would look like anchored by Katie Couric, most of America had to tune in — if for nothing else than to see what she would wear. However I still stand firm in my predictions and believe that first night was simply a fluke. When all the hype finally dies down, Couric will quickly take second place to her old network. You can count out Charles Gibson — Charlie apparently isn’t formal enough for the evening news — as ABC will now be stuck in third.

But in order for my predictions to have any merit, I need to explain why I have come to these conclusions. My first reason for believing CBS won’t be able to hold the lead is this: If you haven’t yet watched the beginning of her broadcast, turn the television on at 6:30 p.m. and watch how she opens the show. First, CBS made a substantial mistake in choosing the announcer for the show. Even though the man behind the voice is Walter Cronkite, one of the most respected names in journalism, he unfortunately does not have the excitement in his voice, he once had, that is needed to attract viewers.

The second reason I believe Couric will fall short of maintaining the number one spot deals with the network for which she works. You can change the face of the anchor, but CBS would have to be completely restructured to stay in first place. The reporters are boring, and the network has long been associated as one that my grandmother would watch. Couric is not equipped with the tools she needs to be number one, and a new set is not one of them. In my mind, she made a huge mistake as a journalist by leaving one of the most trusted and coveted names in news, NBC.

Another notable point to mention regarding Couric’s broadcast was the empty awkward feeling the show has. It’s not that I don’t respect her as a professional, but her introductions to stories made me feel as though something was missing. The broadcast just doesn’t flow as I hoped it would.

When I last wrote, I wondered, can Couric become the pacemaker that will get the heart of evening news going again?

While Couric has added some new elements to her show like “Free Speech,” a segment where ordinary people get two minutes to speak their mind, the show still lacks any major changes to its format. I was actually let down by her performance this week. Even though I am fully aware of my bias towards Brian Williams, I was hoping Couric could finally bring this business back to where Edward R. Murrow had left it. But sadly, I was wrong. Her first show was, in fact, bland with little to no surprises, which is a shame because Couric has the personality to revive an industry that severely needs a face lift.

I can tell you one thing, nothing I saw this week made me want to watch Couric every evening. At 6:30 p.m. on any given night, if I am around a television, you will find me anxiously awaiting the voice of Brian Williams as he begins his broadcast. “Good night and good luck,” Ms. Couric.

Chris Conte, a sophomore in the College of General Studies, is a staffer at The Daily Free Press.