Network Anchor Drama: Palin Takes Pot-Shot at Departing Katie Couric; Meredith Vieira to Leave 'The Today Show'

Nobody gets the last word on Sarah Palin.

Not even three years after the fact.

The former Alaska Governor and 2008 Vice Presidential hopeful wished soon-former CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric her "best" in a Fox News Tuesday interview less than a day removed from Couric announcing her departure from behind the anchor desk.

Couric told People Magazine that saying "goodbye" to CBS would free her to pursue "multi-dimenstional storytelling."

"Yeah, and I hear that she wants to now engage in more 'multi-dimensional story telling' versus I guess just the 'straight on, read into the, that teleprompter screen story telling,'" Palin said. "More power to her. I wish her well in her 'multi-dimensional story telling.'"

Couric engaged Palin in several 2008 interviews authorized by Republican Arizona Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign. In the end, many felt Palin came across in the midst of a heated campaign with Barack Obama as ill-informed and intellectually clumsy. Palin dubbed the interviews "gotcha" journalism and has had a public axe to grind with Couric since.

Saturday Night Live immortalized the moment in a parody equal-parts word-for-word transcription of Couric's questions (with Amy Poehler portraying Couric) and adorable-idiot caricature of Palin (played so uncannily close to Palin's appearance and mannerisms by Tina Fey that even Palin was reportedly flattered.)

Couric debuted as CBS Evening News anchor and managing editor on Sept. 5, 2006, the highest-paid anchor in network news at $15 million per each year of her five-year contract.

Couric won the 2008 and 2009 Edward R. Murrow Awards for best anchor and the 2009 Emmy Governor's Award for the sum of her broadcast career. Though Couric also contributed to CBS's "60 Minutes" and hosted several prime-time CBS News specials, her presence never pulled the network from third behind ABC and NBC in the network evening news ratings.

Palin, meanwhile, became a regular Fox News commentator and produced the series "Sarah Palin's Alaska" for the Discovery Channel.

Meredith Vieira Reportedly Leaving

In other anchor news, Meredith Viera is leaving the NBC TODAY Show, according to a network source cited by People Magazine.

"Meredith has decided she simply does not want to continue with the grind of a daily morning news show," says the source.

"This isn't about leaving to tend to her family – it's about being done with the phase of her career that requires this sort of a daily, on-air commitment. This didn't come out of the blue and is something she's talked about for some time," said the source.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, longtime NBC Today Show news anchor Anne Curry will replace Vieira.