Couric hired to anchor video news for Yahoo

Associated press

SAN FRANCISCO

Katie Couric is joining Yahoo to anchor an expansion of the Internet company’s video news coverage in a move that she hopes will help persuade other broadcast TV veterans to make the transition into online programming.

Monday’s announcement confirms recent published reports that Couric is hoping to attract more viewers on the Internet after spending the past 22 years working as a talk-show host and news anchor at NBC, CBS and ABC.

“I am particularly excited about hopefully attracting other people to this platform and venture,” Couric said in an interview with The Associated Press. “We are in a major, transformative time in terms of media in this country.”

Couric’s hiring is the latest coup for Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer as she brings in well-known journalists in an effort to create compelling content that will attract more people to the company’s online services.