TV's Top News Ladies: Will They Sink or Swim?

With Meredith Vieira's debut on "Today" this morning, the game of musical anchor chairs between Vieira, Katie Couric and Rosie O'Donnell is now complete. So we're left to wonder: which of these women will score big in the ratings and which will fall flat on her face?
Meredith Viera, Katie Couric, and Rosie O'Donnell
Couric scored 13 million viewers in her debut as anchor of "The CBS Evening News" and, while her audience declined slightly by week's end, she still led NBC and ABC by three million viewers. But week two has gotten off to a poor start as Katie dropped to third place on Monday with 7.49 million viewers, slightly behind ABC's 7.87 million and NBC's 8.27 million.

Katie anchored Monday's newscast, the fifth anniversary of 9/11, from Ground Zero and seemed to have trouble holding back tears as she closed the telecast.

While rumors of Rosie O'Donnell clashing with her fellow "View" co-hosts have surfaced (who didn't see that coming?), Rosie's debut on the show also equaled ratings gold -- four million people tuned in, a 54% bump over the same day last year.

Sources have told TMZ that Rosie has complained about the show's production and that Elisabeth Hasselbeck has been openly hostile to her. Rosie even butted heads with Barbara Walters before Rosie even debuted -- Walters didn't approve of Rosie's cryptic blog messages she wrote on her site.

Rosie's rep denies rumors of bad blood, saying, "Everyone gets along great."

And finally, it will take a few days to see how Meredith Vieira does in her new locale, but the former "View"-er did show signs of at least being somewhat nervous (who wouldn't be?) as she flubbed a line on her first toss to commercial break.






Tags: katie couric, KatieCouric, meredith vieira, MeredithVieira, rosie o'donnell, RosieO'donnell, the view, TheView, today

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46. I thought there couldn't be another person as obnoxious and so into themselves as Star Jones and then... hold on, here comes Rosie.....She is all mouth and no brains....does she ever think before she speaks....If I were ABC i would have her on a few seconds delay because of some of her outragious opinions. I don't think the chemistry is there for this show....and isn't the name of the show The View???? How can that be when you have one conservative on the show that is constantly cut off when she wants her point of view to be heard and then the *eyerolls she gets.....I wish Elizabeth would find another venue for herself ....she deserves better....There was a time when I loved the View....even with Star...but then she got a little "too big" for her britches....no pun intended.... I think with Rosie onboard the show is doomed...

Posted at 5:34PM on Sep 30th 2006 by Kathy

47. I have not watched the view since the black girl left. It is not that I liked her or disliked her. I just think that it was an under handed way for Barbara to handle the whole affair. I no longer watch anything that Barbara Walters is involved in. I sure do miss 20/20.

Posted at 7:55PM on Sep 30th 2006 by Barbara Hunter

48. Rosie is a crude and obnoxious person. Sorry, she has done the same thing to The View that Star (what's her name?) did.....rude and demanding. As for Katie: "You Go Girl!"....and as far as Meredith is concerned...she's another winner!.

Posted at 5:42PM on Sep 30th 2006 by Pam

49. I think that B.W. knew exactly what she was getting into when Rosie was hired. Rosie's always been outspoken - no surprise there. And I am glad that, at last, someone with some common sense and a realistic vision of the world has finally arrived on the View to counter the usually arrogant and dumb comments of that silly twit, Elizabeth.

Posted at 6:01PM on Sep 30th 2006 by Sylvia

50. Meredith will either coast or find her own niche, as she is a smart lady. Rosie is obnoxious and vulgar sometimes. Elizabeth is sort of a twit but I like her morals. Joy is the best to watch and listen too but is not the center of attention much. At first I did not like Barbara and then I thought she was pretty nice but after Star got a bum deal I don't think so anymore. I don't watch the view anymore unless some special guest I want to see is on and then turn it off after seeing that person. Katie is indeed boring as usual and I don't like the new format of her news presentation.

Posted at 11:41PM on Sep 30th 2006 by Sally

51. Rosie is a welcome breath of fresh air on that show. Finally, somebody to counter the silly views of that arrogant twit, Elizabeth.

Posted at 6:00PM on Sep 30th 2006 by Sylvia

52. PLEASE SEND ROSIE HOME!!!!She is such a loud mouth opiinionated bitch.
Send her packing SOON>
I love all the other gals on the view. But can't watch it with Rosie there sorry gals

Posted at 6:46PM on Oct 1st 2006 by Lora Taylor

53. Everyone should just kick back and enjoy what they want and ignore what they don't want.
The world will still go round. I like all of them.

Posted at 6:22PM on Sep 30th 2006 by Margaret A.Williams-Lanning

54. I want Rosie off the View. She is so disgusting and a loud mouth. The view use to have some class to it. Now that Rosie is on it it no longer has that style. I thought Star Jones was horrible.I am not going to watch the view any longer, along with many others I know.

Posted at 6:25PM on Sep 30th 2006 by allison krutulis

55. For anyone to think that Rosie could bring anything in the way of an asset to the show is completely ridiculous. She is still as ignorant, obnoxious and tiresome as she ever was. Her stripes are firmly implanted. I had enough of her when she had her own show. I watched her once for about a minute.. That was enough. Anyone with any brains can figure out what she is in just a few seconds. Why Barrbara Walters would find it necessary to scrape the bottom of the barrel to come up with Rosie is beyond all understanding. There are many women with class who could take her place very easily. Why not check out what's out there ?

Posted at 6:26PM on Sep 30th 2006 by louise

56. I was a regular fan of the "VIEW", before Rosie.. PLEASE GET HER OFF ASAP. Barbara, please show them all who really is the BOSS. I miss the VIEW but I refuse to watch it again while she is still on it. I'm not the only one who feels this way. She is such a crude and rude excuse for a female. We certainly do not need to have her as someone for our young people to look up to and (or) as a role model for them. Please help do something to right this wrong.. I'll be waiting .. Thanks !

Posted at 7:00PM on Sep 30th 2006 by Betty

57. I think Meredith was really nervous at first. But now she seems like she has always been there right along with Matt, Ann and Al. I think she has really filled Katie's shoes quite well.... She is really great.

Posted at 9:30AM on Oct 7th 2006 by Helen

58. what ever happens will be because star was let go. to me that is the begining of the end of the veiw. rosie is so overpowering the other hosts, you can see she thinks shes better or bigger than the rest of them. rest in peace view

Posted at 7:49PM on Sep 30th 2006 by marie humphrey

59. Barbara Walters was under handed in the way she handled this show. I will never watch the View or anything else that Barbara is involved with......

Posted at 7:58PM on Sep 30th 2006 by Barbara Hunter

60. All this talk about who is this that and the other is what is boring. Most people who watch these shows are supposed to be adults. If you don't like anyone on the View or any program you have the right to switch channel. This sounds like High School why would B.W. ever feel in anyway threatened everyone who has watched the show since the beginning knows whose show it is. Maybe if BW gets to PO'd she should just cancel the show all together.

Just a thought

Posted at 7:58PM on Sep 30th 2006 by Susan DiCarlo

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