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Katie Couric finally went on the record to People today to announce her decision to step down from CBS Evening News.  ”I’m really proud of the talented team on the CBS Evening News and the award-winning work we’ve been able to do in the past five years in addition to the reporting I’ve done for 60 Minutes and CBS Sunday Morning,” she told the magazine. “In making the decision to move on, I know the Evening News will be in great hands, but I am excited about the future.”

As for what’s next, Couric said, ”I am looking at a format that will allow me to engage in more multi-dimensional storytelling.” Couric, who anchored the Evening News since 2006, is expected to focus on developing a daytime talk show that may or may not involve Today’s Matt Lauer. Both the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal reported earlier this month that there have been discussions to reunite her with her former co-worker and friend.

CBS will likely announce Couric’s successor next week, or before its annual upfront presentation to advertisers in New York. It seems likely that 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley is the frontrunner, though CBS’s Harry Smith and Russ Mitchell have also been mentioned as possible successors.