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Katherine Anne Couric, better known as '''Katie Couric''' (born January 7 , 1957 ) is an American Media Personality and the future anchorwoman and Managing Editor of CBS Evening News . When she assumes the anchor chair at CBS in September 2006 , she will become the first woman to be solo anchor of a major evening network newscast in the United States (the first female evening news anchor was Barbara Walters , who shared anchoring duties with Harry Reasoner on ABC from 1976 to 1978 ; coincidentally, Walters was the first female co-anchor of ''The Today Show''). She is also the longest serving co-host of NBC's '' The Today Show ''. BIOGRAPHY Early life Couric was born in . Couric enrolled in the University Of Virginia in 1975, graduating in 1979 with a degree in American Studies and a sister in Delta Delta Delta . At the University, she served in several positions at the school's award-winning daily newspaper, The Cavalier Daily . During her fourth year at the University, Couric was chosen to live as Head Resident of The Lawn , the heart of Thomas Jefferson 's academic village. Career Couric's reporting career began when she was hired by Stan Hooper as a desk assistant for the ABC News bureau in Washington, D.C. , later joining CNN as an assignment Editor . Between 1984 and 1986, she worked as a general-assignment Reporter for WTVJ in Miami, Florida . During the following two years, she reported for WRC-TV , an NBC station in Washington, D.C., work which earned her an Associated Press award and an Emmy . Couric joined '' NBC News '' in 1989 as a reporter. From 1989 to 1991, Couric filled in for Bryant Gumbel as host of ''Today'' , Jane Pauley , and Deborah Norville as co-anchor of ''Today'', Garrick Utley , Mary Alice Williams , and Maria Shriver as co-host of Sunday ''Today'', John Palmer , Deborah Norville, and Faith Daniels as anchor of the former NBC News program NBC News At Sunrise . She also subbed for Faith Daniels, Deborah Norville, and John Palmer as the newsreader on ''Today''. In 1990, she joined ''Today'' as national correspondent, becoming a co-host in February 1991, at first temporarily when Norville had a baby, but later on in April 1991 on a more permanent basis when Norville left ''Today'' to spend time with her newborn baby. In 1992, she began working as a collaborator at '' Dateline NBC '', where her reports appeared regularly and she was named contributing anchor. She remained at Today and NBC News until 2006, when she announced that she would be going to CBS to anchor the CBS Evening News , becoming the first solo female anchor of any of the "big three" nightly news broadcasts. She hosted or worked on a number of news specials: '''', in 1995 was a report on the state of children in the U.S. Katie Couric has filled in for Tom Brokaw on ''NBC Nightly News''. Couric has also filled in for Garrick Utley on the Sunday Edition of ''NBC Nightly News'' from 1989 to 1992, and also for Maria Shriver on the Saturday Edition of ''NBC Nightly News'' in 1989. Similar "specials" of a commercial nature were '' in 1999 ''. Couric has also co-hosted the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games . She has broadcasted with Bob Costas , beginning with the 1992 Summer Olympics . She did not co-host the 2006 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony in Turin, Italy , ( Brian Williams co-hosted them instead). Personality interviews Couric has interviewed many international political figures and celebrities during her career, including Presidents George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton , First Lady Barbara Bush , John Ramsey and his wife Patsy Ramsey, Trisha Meili (known as ''The Central Park Jogger''), and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia . John F. Kennedy Jr. gave Couric his first and last interviews. Couric has won multiple television reporting awards through her career. Couric has also interviewed OJ Simpson, Jennifer Willlbanks ("Runaway Bride"), Tony Blair, Hilary Clinton (her first television interview), and Laura Bush. Media In a media crossover to Animated Film , she was the voice of news-reporter "Katie Current" in the film '' Shark Tale '', in the U.S. version. Most foreign versions use a different voice, but she is still credited. She also made a Cameo Appearance as a prison guard at Georgia State Prison in '' Austin Powers In Goldmember ''. She guest-starred as herself on the NBC Sitcom '' Will & Grace '' in late 2002 . On May 12 , 2003 , she traded places for a day with ''Tonight Show'' host Jay Leno . The "Couric Effect" Couric's husband, Jay Monahan, died of Colon Cancer in 1998 at the age of 42; today, she is a prominent spokeswoman for colon cancer awareness. She underwent a Colonoscopy on-air in March 2000, and, according to a study published by Archives of Internal Medicine (July 14, 2003), inspired many others to get checked as well: :Katie Couric's televised colon cancer awareness campaign was temporarily associated with an increase in colonoscopy use in 2 different data sets. This illustrates the possibility that an individual can draw attention and support to worthwhile causes. On October 7, 2005, Couric broadcast her own mammogram on the Today Show, in the hopes of recreating the "Couric Effect" around the issue of Breast Cancer . October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. {Link without Title} Likeability Couric has been admired and criticized for blurring the lines between entertainment and serious reporting. Couric's choice of short skirts while hosting the Today Show has led to her legs being one of the most widely identified aspect of her on-screen persona and the subject of many commentaries and Web sites {Link without Title} . On May 12, 2003, Couric guest hosted the late night television show '' The Tonight Show With Jay Leno '' and gathered 42% more viewers than on normal nights. CNN and the ''New York Daily News'' noted that instead of using Leno's regular solid desk, "workers cut away the front of her desk to expose her legs while she interviewed ''American Idol'' judge Simon Cowell and ''Austin Powers'' star Mike Myers." [http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/v-pfriendly/story/83377p-76275c.html Personal life Couric married Jay Monahan in 1989 . Couric had her first daughter, Elinor Tully Monahan, in 1991; her second daughter, Caroline, was born in 1996 . Monahan died of colon cancer in 1998. Emily Couric, a popular State Senator and the sister of Katie, died of Pancreatic Cancer at the age of 54 in 2001 after a battle with the disease. Couric was quite close to her sister and gave a eulogy at the funeral. She pointed out that it irritated Emily when people asked her if she was Katie Couric's sister. Katie told the mourners "I just want you to know I will always be proud to say 'I am Emily Couric's sister.'" Celebrity news, such as '' trumpeter Chris Botti , but they reportedly broke up in February 2005 . She was previously and has intermittently since been linked with multi-millionaire TV producer Tom Werner , whose home base of California has reportedly proved problematic for the New York -based Couric. Rumors are that she is dating one of the Reyes brothers from Reyes Holdings LLC, a Republican billionaire who owns a large distribution company, the Headquarters are located in Rosemont Illinois, with holdings company Martin Brower LLC. They are a distributor for McDonalds, which is based in Oakbrook , and are listed on Crains as one of Illinois largest private LLC's. Move to CBS Katie Couric announced on April 5, 2006 (her 15th anniversary as permanent co-host of ''Today''), that she will be leaving the show at the end of May, without confirming that she would be taking an anchor position. “I wanted to tell all of you out there … that after listening to my heart and my gut … I’ve decided I’ll be leaving ‘Today’ at the end of May,” she said. “I really feel as if we’ve become friends through the years.” Couric appeared close to tears at times as she made the announcement on “Today.” “Sometimes I think change is a good thing,” she said. “Although it may be terrifying to get out of your comfort zone, it’s very exciting to start a new chapter in your life.” {Link without Title} CBS officially confirmed later the same day that Couric will become the new anchor and managing editor of the '' CBS Evening News '' in September. Couric will also contribute to '' 60 Minutes '' and anchor primetime news specials for CBS. {Link without Title} The '' Drudge Report '' reported that some CBS executives doubted that Couric could be a good anchor for the ''CBS Evening News'' and fear that the move would have "lackluster results". {Link without Title} Many have criticized the move by CBS to promote Couric to the broadcast chair. The criticism is centered around Couric's lack of experience in hard journalism and that she lacks the weight to be a sole anchor of the ''CBS Evening News'', when compared to previous anchors such as Walter Cronkite , who was named in multiple viewer polls "The Most Trusted Man in America." [http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/television/2002915706_couric07.html {Link without Title} EXTERNAL LINKS
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