Report: Katie Couric Will Leave CBS in Nine Months

It looks like January 2009 will bring regime change at CBS Evening News as well as in Washington.

While it won't come as a shock to anyone who's been paying attention, The Wall Street Journal's Rebecca Dana has by far the most definitive report yet that Katie Couric's tenure as anchor will end well before her contract expires, probably just after the inauguration of the next president.

Citing sources at CBS and in Couric's camp, Dana says Couric would probably leave the network altogether -- and not hang on as a full-time 60 Minutes correspondent, a scenario that's been bruited previously. Although her contract runs through 2011, the network would be all to happy to strike her $15 million-a-year contract from the budget. One hedge: "It's possible that Ms. Couric could survive if a major news event lifted the newscast's ratings or some other shift occurred at CBS."

Where might Couric land? Very likely, says Dana, at CNN, where 74-year-old Larry King has a contract that expires next year.

(N.B.: This could've been your scoop, New York Times!)