CBS: Couric will be here for 'a long time'

CBS News chief Sean McManus says that it's unfair to criticize Katie Couric's multimillion-dollar salary at a time when jobs are being cut at the news division.

McManus also says he expects the evening news anchor to remain at CBS "for a long time." He offered the strongest public signal yet yesterday that the network is interested in Couric beyond the May 2011 expiration of her current contract - a possibility that was once considered remote, The Associated Press reports.

McManus also says CBS is cutting jobs across all of its broadcasts as a result of the tough economic climate faced by media companies. He would not say how many jobs would be lost but said reports that it would be as many as 150 were inaccurate.

CBS is closing its offices in Moscow and Tel Aviv, although the network would keep personnel in Russia and Israel.