CBS to Simulcast Evening News on Net

CBS said Thursday that in conjunction with former NBC "Today" anchor Katie Couric's debut on the CBS Evening News September 5, the network would begin simulcasting the nightly news program live on the Internet. While the streaming of a network news product is not new, the live aspect of the offering is.

The network was able to offer the new feature after renegotiating carriage agreements with its affiliates nationwide. CBS had to make some concessions, including the requirement that users register with an address so the simulcast is viewed when CBS Evening News airs in their time zone.

In addition, users would be able to view the entire broadcast on-demand after the program airs much like the news offering from rival network NBC. Additionally, as previously possible, viewers would also be able to watch segments of the newscast on CBSNews.com.

"As we learned from our simulcast of March Madness on Demand, there is a huge appetite for real time content on the Internet," CBS Digital Media president Larry Kramer said. "Viewers increasingly want access to programming when it's fresh, and the Internet allows us to bring our content to them wherever they are and whenever that content is broadcast."

In addition to the simulcast, CBS is also launching other multimedia initiatives including "Couric & Company," a blog that will provide insight into the newsgathering process and invite comments. "Eye to Eye" will be an extended interview segment hosted by Couric and other, and "CBS News First Look," is an afternoon video that covers the stories being considered for that night's broadcast.

"Now people will have access to great reporting by all the CBS Evening News correspondents, literally, anytime they want," said Couric, who is also the managing editor of the broadcast. "It's another example of how we intend to use our website to complement our broadcast -- and, most importantly, to benefit our viewers."