The TV Zone

TV news people love to talk and here's what the dears are talking about at CBS News, right now at this very minute: That Rick Kaplan, "Evening News" executive producer and recently installed at "Early Show" in the wake of the ouster of the very sharp-elbowed Shelley Ross, will be setting his alarm clock for quite some time to come.

Reason: Katie Couric has set her eye on network veteran Chris Dinan to become the new executive producer of "EN."

Why am I posting this now and why should you care? (Well, it is Monday morning and nothing else is going on, and I do have to fill this blog and...)

It's interesting because nothing EVER happens within a vacuum at CBS News (never has) and any major level executive shift is usually symptomatic of some broader change. I'm still not telling you why this is interesting (sorry.)

OK, two works: Katie Couric. Enough said?

There's more speculation over at the Milk Factory (fondly so-named because once milk flowed through this wonderful old eastside sprawl as opposed to gossip). Here it is:

- That...Sean McManus, president of the news division will hang up his news spurs by the summer and return full-time to Sports (unlike the news division, CBS Sports is biggest, baddest, meanest, toughest sports TV entity this side of ESPN.) Mc is prez of both news and sports.

- That...pressure will grow once again on "60 Minutes" boss, Jeff Fager, to take over the news division.

Do I believe any of this? Well, yes, a little bit (just not sure how much.) The ever reliable Sandy Genelius, CBS News top spokeshuman, tells me the Dinan rumor is utter hogwash: "There's nothing to it. Nothing to it."

Do I believe SANDY? Sure, but...Dinan, as we say in the trade, IS "well-regarded" (Kaplan appointed him his number two last fall) and no one ever believed Rick and Katie would get along forever (only diamonds are forever - not TV news executives.) Rick's very talented and tough; Katie's the same, and SHE wants to be the one calling the shots. The only thing that gives me pause: Katie's broadcast seems to have settled down with Kapan at the helm. ("Seems to" but nothing is ever as it really "seems" at CBS News, so...),

Fager to the president's office? He doesn't want it (last time I checked.) Morevoer, he's got a much better gig at "60," so why go to the hornet's nest across the street where the news isn't always (ahem) good. Meanwhile, I'm also hearing...that CBS is also shuttering its Paris bureau (actually, it's a three-person satellite; the real bureau, per my recollection, was shuttered years ago.)

(Above: RK, taking over mornings after Ross fiasco.)