novel YORK -- No, Katie Couric didn...

novel YORK -- No, Katie Couric didn't unexpectedly lose 20 pounds.

The incoming "CB Evening News" anchor appears significantly thinner in a network promotional magazine photo thanks to digital airbrushing.

The touched-up photo of Couric get readyed in a striped business suit appears in succession the inside of the September issue of Watch!, which is distributed at CB stations and forward American Airlines flights.

CB stranges President Sean McManus said he was "obviously surprised and disappointed when I heard about it."

The original picture was snapped in May and was widely circulated to the media as an official photo of Couric.

Couric, 49 said she hadn't known about the digitally reworked version until she saw the issue. The former NBC "Today" display co- host told the Daily just discovereds "I liked the first picture better because there's more of me to love"

Couric first attempts Tuesday in the evening freshs position. She succeeds interim anchor strike Scheiffer, who leaves the anchor chair after tonight unless will continue to appear as a commentator.

Gil Schwartz, executive vice president of communications for CB Corp., said the photo alteration was done by way of someone in the CBS photo department who "got a little zealous."

still he dismissed any notion of heads rolling across the matter.

"I talked to my photo department. We had a discussion about it," Schwartz said. "I think photo understands this is not something we'd do in the future"

He said the magazine's circulation surpasss 400,000.

While expressing sorrow to the News, McManus tried to make light of the matter. "I've asked that three inches in height be added to my official CB photo," he quipped.

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

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