Katie Couric had some fairly harsh words for the network that formerly employed her in an interview for Good Housekeeping magazine that was released on Tuesday.
Couric, whose new daytime talk show"Katie" premieres on Monday, September 10, sat down with GH to discuss her return to television and what she hopes to accomplish with her new program.
When asked about her time at CBS anchoring "CBS Evening News," Couric said that she felt "really proud of the work [she] did," but was quick to point out the challenges.
She described feeling "constrained" while she worked at CBS, and therefore "liberated" when she left the network after five years.
After spending 15 years on NBC's "Today" show, Couric decided to leave her chair beside Matt Lauer and venture to CBS to become the anchor and managing editor of the evening news. While her broadcast won many awards, including four Emmys, rival newscasts on ABC and NBC widened their ratings lead ahead of the network.
During the GH interview, Couric said, "I had an ultimate sense of satisfaction. But I was not ambivalent about feeling this wasn't the place for me for the rest of my career. It wasn't the right environment for me. In terms of the atmosphere, it wasn't a good fit for my sensibilities and personality."
Known for her direct and perky personality, Couric added, "I'm not a quitter. There were times when I thought to myself, Gee, do I need this? But I thought, You know what? I can do this job as well as anyone. If people are projecting their own issues onto me, that's not my problem."
Ahead of her big premiere on the daytime talk show stage, Couric has been all over the place: engaging fans through her active Twitter feed, releasing video promos, talking with local TV and radio stations, guest-hosting "Good Morning America," and raising funds to fight cancer. Her presence on the dating scene has also made headlines.