In what could be the least-surprising news we've heard this year, the A.P. found out from their sources over the weekend that Katie Couric is going to be leaving the 'CBS Evening News' this year to start her own daytime talk show in 2012.

It wasn't just the consistent third-place finish that prompted Couric to leave; it seemed like she wasn't 100 percent comfortable in the role of network evening news anchor. She likes talking to people, and in the daytime arena she'll be able to excel in the way she did when she was on the 'Today' show for 15 years.

So, it now comes down to who is going to replace Couric at the anchor desk. It doesn't seem like CBS will make the same move it made five years ago when it courted Couric; who knows if they even have $15 million per year to throw around anymore. But there seem to be plenty of internal and external candidates for CBS to consider for the job. After the jump, a quick list possibilities and a chance to take a poll so you can tell us who you'd like to see win the job.

Scott Pelley
Because of his '60 Minutes' connection to new CBS News chief -- and current '60' executive producer -- Jeff Fager, Pelley has been the odds-on favorite to replace Couric ever since these latest rumors surfaced. He'd be an excellent choice, for a lot of reasons. Pelley has been with CBS for over 20 years, and has been everywhere with the network, both on the schedule and in the field. In his years with the '60 Minutes' franchise, he's become a go-to reporter for the news magazine, traveling all over the globe to get key interviews or stories on the hottest news stories, something '60' hadn't done until recent years. But mostly, it seems to be his time; he was in the running for the job five years ago before Couric's name was involved.

Of course, outside of '60 Minutes,' he doesn't carry the same name recognition as either of the other two network anchors, Brian Williams and Diane Sawyer. But CBS went for splashy name recognition five years ago, and where did that get them?

Harry Smith
Despite being dismissed from his job as anchor of 'The Early Show' at the end of 2010, Smith continues to play a significant role at the Eye Network, reporting from hot spots in Egypt, Japan and elsewhere in this news-packed year. He's also been Couric's primary substitute on the 'Evening News,' so his presence there would not be shocking to viewers.

Smith seems like a too-safe choice, however; yes, he's been associated with CBS for decades, but he's seen more as an easygoing presence despite his hard news bona fides. He'd also be seen as a stop-gap measure, mainly due to his age (he'll be 60 this year), even if CBS swears up and down that he's in it for the long haul.

Russ Mitchell
Mitchell has also been another loyal CBS soldier, working wherever the brass has asked him to work during his 20 year career. Recently, he was asked to return to his old haunt at the Saturday edition of 'The Early Show,' a show he helped establish a decade ago. In addition, he's the anchor of the Sunday edition of the 'Evening News,' so there's a familiarity there.

If Pelley doesn't get the job, Mitchell's got a shot, mainly because of his familiarity to the audience, even if people don't really know him well by name.

Lara Logan
Logan needs to be in the discussion only because she's one of CBS's most recognizable correspondents. Her news prowess can't be questioned, and she'll likely use her foreign correspondent chutzpah to take the 'Evening News' to wherever the news is actually happening, something that Couric seemed to do only reluctantly.

But would she be willing to come off the road and tie herself to an anchor desk. Despite the recent sexual assault incident in Egypt, Logan doesn't seem like the type who will shrink from any assignment when she comes back to full-time reporting duty. Even if she expands what an 'Evening News' anchor can do in the field, the job may still feel constraining to her.

Anderson Cooper
CBS has wanted to add Cooper to its news stable for years, and he does contribute a few stories per year to '60 Minutes.' Of all the candidates, he has the most name recognition, and in his years at CNN, reporting from the scene of every major news story in the last decade-plus, he's also gained recognition as an anchor of his own series, 'Anderson Cooper 360.'

Of course, that means he already has a job, one that takes him wherever he wants to go to report a story. It's the same issue as Logan; will he want to be tied to a anchor desk that limits what he can do as a reporter? In addition, it'll likely take buckets of money to get him to leave CNN, a network where he's done everything from report from the Katrina-ravaged Gulf to getting attacked by Hosni Mubarak's supporters to getting punched in the gut by Kathy Griffin. Who would want to leave that?

Keith Olbermann
He's semi-available -- he not-so-voluntarily left MSNBC earlier this year but linked up with Al Gore's obscure cable network Current TV -- and has the name recognition that CBS may like ...

Ah, who are we kidding? He's way too partisan, and far too difficult, for CBS to even want to give him a try. If you want to throw money at a big name, go with Anderson Cooper. But it's fun to speculate what the 'CBS Evening News With Keith Olbermann' would look like, wouldn't it?

Tell us: Who do you think will replace Katie Couric on the 'CBS Evening News?' Tell us in the comments and the poll below.






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