Katie Couric, a special correspondent at ABC News, is nearing a decision to join online portal Yahoo as the site continues its efforts to regain relevance on the Web.
Couric, one of the more recognizable broadcast journalists in recent times, would be departing ABC to take on an undefined role at Yahoo, according to a report published Saturday in The Hollywood Reporter. Couric and Yahoo were not immediately available to independently confirm the report.
The 56-year-old journalist joined ABC two years ago -- in part to create a daytime talk show called "Katie." The show could continue beyond the current season even if Couric leaves ABC, according to The New York Times. The future of the show would hinge on ratings, which have been high but trending downward as of late.
The move is the latest effort by Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer to lure well-known content creators to the site as it attempts to regain online readers. Bringing on well-known journalists is one of the latest tools Mayer is using to attempt to breathe new life into the company.
In October, David Pogue, technology writer for The New York Times, joined Yahoo to strengthen the portal as a consumer technology site.
Yahoo's revenue the past 12 months is down 4.1% from the same period a year ago, says S&P Capital IQ. Net income during the previous 12-month period is down 68%, as the company continues to struggle to compete with online juggernauts Google and Facebook for online eyeballs and advertising dollars.
In a strong market for stocks overall and tech stocks in particular, Yahoo stock is up 100% the past year. It closed Friday at $36.49, up 0.5% for the day.
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