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There has been a lot of talk lately about how CBS will dump Katie Couric, maybe right after the presidential inauguration, maybe sooner. Wilting Nielsen numbers indicate that the network's so-called "bold" plan to revitalize the Stone-Age nightly news format has been a spectacular bust.

If that happens, I wouldn't feel too sorry for Couric. After all, she is pulling in about $15 million a year. But I might be concerned that television's exclusive news-anchor club would once again become a diversity-free zone.

Here's how I can see this going: CBS bigwigs dump Couric and throw up their hands. "Well, we tried a woman in the chair, and it didn't work," they'll say, overlooking the possibility that perhaps they tried the wrong woman.

And then they'll slip back into play-it-safe mode and install another middle-aged white guy.

It's mind-boggling to think that in local television markets all over the country we have a variety of anchors of all colors and both sexes, while the national level fails to approach that kind of diversity. Even more mind-boggling: At a time when we're flirting with the possibility of voting in a black or woman president, most of the major anchors covering the race to the White House are, again, middle-aged white guys.

And don't bet on seeing major changes in the near future. In a recent TV Guide article discussing Couric's possible replacements, one option was Diane Sawyer and the remaining

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three were white men (Harry Smith, Scott Pelley and Anderson Cooper).

Rather shameful, don't you think?

"30 ROCK" BOWS OUT: It hardly seems fair. Tina Fey's "30 Rock" (9:30 tonight, Channels 3 and 11) had us rolling on the floor in laughter through the early fall, but suddenly disappeared, banished to the sidelines by the writers strike.

And then, it finally returns in all its gut-busting glory for only a handful of episodes and disappears again tonight with an early second-season finale.

Major bummer.

Even more of a disappointment: Tonight's uneven episode isn't on par with the show's best. It has Jack (Alec Baldwin) assuming a new government role in Washington, D.C., and Tracy (Tracy Morgan) putting the finishing touches on the porn video game he hopes will make him millions. But the big news is that Liz Lemon (Fey) could be pregnant with (oh, Lord) Dennis' (Dean Winters) baby.

Matthew Broderick and Edie Falco also guest-star in the bloated season-ender.

"SCRUBS" ENDS NBC RUN: It was a stormy relationship, to say the least. Though the hysterical "Scrubs" (8:30 tonight, Channels 3 and 11) was one of NBC's best sitcoms in the drab post-"Seinfeld" era, the network never paid it much respect, tossing it all over the schedule and yanking it off the air for long periods.

With tonight's season finale, the show and the network go their separate ways. There are strong indications, however, that "Scrubs" will continue its run on ABC, where we hope it receives much better treatment.

ARE YOU TOUGH ENOUGH? If this keeps up, I'm going to need a hard hat and a cup to cover television.

"Tougher in Alaska" (10 tonight, History) is the latest entry in a growing genre of shows seemingly designed to make us feel physically inadequate. It takes viewers to the 49th state and demonstrates how brutal everyday life is there, thanks to the severe weather and rugged terrain.

The series follows in the wake of shows like "Deadliest Catch" (king crab fishermen on the high seas), "Ice Road Truckers" (brave guys trekking across frozen lakes) and "Ax Men" (burly lumberjacks felling humongous trees) that look at highly demanding and dangerous occupations.

Coming soon: "Tenacious TV Types" — about hardy and resilient writers who endure computer-screen glare and flirt with carpal tunnel syndrome to dig out the latest television tidbits. And all without the aid of illegal steroids.

SEEKING "SEX" FANS: OK, help me out here. I'm preparing to write a preview story of the upcoming "Sex and the City" movie, and I want to connect with devotees of the HBO series.

If you're someone — woman or man — who has passionately followed the adventures of Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda over the years, or know of someone who has, please e-mail me at cbarney@bayareanewsgroup.com.

Reach Chuck Barney at 925-952-2685 or cbarney@bayareanewsgroup.com. Also check out his blog at www.ibabuzz.com/tvfreak.