Katie Couric: I Need a Loan to Gas Up My Minivan
By Rich Noyes | August 15, 2005 | 10:24
As Mark Finkelstein accurately noted earlier this morning, NBC’s Today gave big play to the supposed havoc that rising fuel prices are having on American society. But the hype reached ridiculous levels when Katie Couric insisted during Monday’s show opening that “I had to take out a loan to fill up my minivan. It’s crazy.”
Couric makes at least $15 million a year co-hosting Today.
Here’s how Couric and co-host Matt Lauer teased their upcoming segment on the “pain” of “sky high” gas prices:
MATT LAUER: “Pain at the pump. Gas prices are going sky high. I paid $2.94 a gallon over the weekend to fill up the car.”
KATIE COURIC: “It’s ridiculous. I had to take out a loan to fill up my minivan. It’s crazy.”
LAUER: “People are saying, ‘Pump faster,’ at the gas station, before the prices go up again. We are going to talk about today things you can do at home — if you are spending that much for gas — things you can do to save money in other areas, part of a series we’re calling ‘Cheapskate 101.’”As MRC’s Brent Baker has pointed out several times, the media’s mantra about “record high” gas prices has ignored the fact that prices are only now beginning to reach historic highs if you take inflation into account.
And as far as Couric is concerned, she should be able to afford even premium unleaded if and when gas prices actually reach record highs. As New York Times reporter Bill Carter disclosed back on December 20, 2001, Couric is one of the best-paid performers on TV today:
NBC and Katie Couric, the anchor of its Today show, agreed yesterday to what is believed to be the largest financial deal ever signed in television news, reaching beyond $60 million for the next four and a half years. Executives close to the negotiations said that Ms. Couric would receive compensation of $15 million to $16 million a year, in a deal structured to include both salary and stock in NBC’s parent company, General Electric. The new figure represents a big jump from the estimated $7 million to $10 million a year she had been earning.
But if Katie is really feeling "pain at the pump," she could always trade in her minivan for something a little more economical — like one of those little electric cars.
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Comments
This hike in gas prices
Submitted by Olivia Smith on Thu, 06/09/2011 - 7:34am.
This hike in gas prices certainly is different ... in other headlines, the price of oil is plummeting. As for changing driving habits... It will take government regulated gas rationing to change driving habits... but that will never happen as long as with each gas price increase, the tax dollar collected at the pump also increases. A generous rationing system where users are taxed by volume used (rather than on today's price) seems like the only way to reward the gas savers ... while not double punishing the users when gas prices rise. The poor who can't afford cars ... and the frugal who bike, car pool and plan all trips to reduce mileage ... could trade gas vouchers with those with distant work commutes. To take personal loans with bad credit in order to gas a car is a pity decision, which our governmen make people do. This is justified by the current federal and provincial governments as being necessary for maintaining "jobs" ---as if the hugely profitable Oil industry is going to pull out of Alberta, should Canada not give them the next scheduled round of tax reductions--or dare to require stricter environmental controls-- or justify unethical price gouging (all year long but especially every summer)......Even the US Government is now asking their Gasoline distributors to justify recent price gouging.