Others helped pave way

When she moves to CBS, Katie Couric will become the first woman to anchor a weeknight network TV newscast without a man by her side. A history of those who paved the way:

• Barbara Walters, 1976-1978, ABC co-anchor with Harry Reasoner: Pairing was discontinued due to low ratings.

• Jessica Savitch, 1977-1983, anchored weekend edition of “NBC Nightly News”: Replaced by Connie Chung.

• Diane Sawyer, 1981-1984, co-anchor of “CBS Morning News”: Left to join “60 Minutes.”

• Linda Ellerbee, early 1980s, co-anchored “NBC News Overnight.”

• Carole Simpson, 1988-2003, anchored weekend editions of “ABC World News Tonight”: Left to become an “ambassador” for ABC News, visiting schools to help students understand the media.

• Connie Chung, June 1993-May 1995, CBS co-anchor with Dan Rather: Before being paired with Rather, Chung anchored the Sunday edition of the CBS news show, and before that the weekend edition of “NBC Nightly News.” Left CBS after being told she would be removed from the evening newscast and that her own show, “Eye to Eye with Connie Chung,” faced cancellation.

• Cokie Roberts, 1996-2002, co-anchor of ABC’s Sunday-morning broadcast, “This Week with Sam Donaldson & Cokie Roberts.”

• Elizabeth Vargas, January 2006-present, “ABC World News Tonight” co-anchor with Bob Woodruff:

• Cable news anchors have included Judy Woodruff, Soledad O’Brien and Paula Zahn, CNN, and Rita Cosby, MSNBC.