Katie Couric leaving CBS Evening News

Katie Couric is leaving her anchor post at CBS Evening News less than five years after becoming the first woman to anchor a network TV evening newscast alone.

A network executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity because Couric has not officially announced her plans, reported the move to The Associated Press on Sunday night.

The 54-year-old anchor is expected to launch a syndicated talk show in 2012 and several companies are vying for her services, including CBS.

No departure date has been set for Couric. Her CBS News contract expires on June 4. Spokespeople for CBS and Couric declined comment on Sunday.

Couric's move from NBC's Today show was big news in 2006, and she began in the anchor chair with a flourish that September.

She tried to incorporate her strengths as an interviewer into a standard evening news format and millions of people who normally didn't watch the news at night checked it out. But they drifted away, and Couric settled into the third place ranking CBS has occupied for many years.

-AAP