The fifth week was the toughest for Katie Couric, whose viewership on the “CBS Evening News” has dropped each week since her debut the day after Labor Day.

Her broadcast averaged 7.04 million viewers last week, third to NBC’s “Nightly News” (8.56 million) and ABC’s “World News” (7.97 million), according to Nielsen Media Research.

CBS points out that the “CBS Evening News” is the only one of the three network newscasts with more viewers last week than the same week a year earlier. NBC’s margin of victory last year was 2.2 million.

“Where we were last week or even in the weeks to come is not as important as where we are next year and even the year after that,” said CBS News President Sean McManus. “As we have said from the very beginning, we are focused on the long term and on making slow and steady progress, which we are doing.”

But the steady erosion is a discouraging sign, especially after 13.6 million people tuned in for Couric’s first broadcast.

Time to take off the rose-colored glasses. Desperate times call for desperate measures. Maybe ol’ girl should resort to some of her old tricks. Like this…

And this…

Oh, and this…

Hey, it worked for The Today Show. Sometimes a girl’s gotta flash a little thigh and titty to get what she wants.

I’m just sayin’.