I admit it, when Katie Couric signed on to anchor the CBS Evening News, i tuned in. And while i can quibble about this or that (sitting cross-legged on the side of the desk - pleeaaase) overall i thought she did a good job.

But that was before what is rapidly becoming the Free Speech Debacle.

Naming a TV Segment Free Speech isn't something execs do lightly. I know this from experience. At MTV my pilot, first named 'interact' became UN Filtered only after i lobbied passionately for the title Free Speech. Too much like homework i was told. Too bad.

So CBS has the field all to themselves. They can name a segment free speech and 'own' it. The only thing is - it's a constitutional right so it's not a term you can fool with.

Or so i thought.

First, there is the question of how the segment works. First, CBS goes through it's rolodex and picks out people who they know from the world of media, print, politics, or entertainment. People who's words you've heard before. And it offers them a bit of air time.

Already - they've got it all wrong.

You can't dole out free speech. Remember the gated in pens called "free speech zones" at the National Political conventions in 2004? Shameful.

So then CBS Producers invited Bill Mahr to submit a few ideas for a segment on Free Speech. You can read his account of the interaction here. But suffice it to say - Mahrs segment isn't going to see the light of day.

Then CBS reached out to Jeff Jarvis. His account is even more jaw dropping.

The thing is - when you give people Free Speech, they get to say what's on their mind. People aren't puppets willing to morph their thoughts and feelings to fit into CBS's 22 minute ideology-free zone. Bravo to Bill and Jeff.

CBS Should have taken a page from UNfiltered. Invited speakers to write/call/email their ideas for what they would talk about. Put up the submissions on their web site, and let visitors vote on who they think should be heard. They could filter for obscenity, defamation, or any other specific issues they don't feel should be given an open forum (as long as the rules are transparent - guidelines are fair).

UPDATE: Blogger Steve Garfield has taken action! and created a site for people to submit their own comments at sayittokatie.com. Bravo.