C.J.: Katie Couric's the kind of Yahoo to surprise Jason Matheson

Of course, Katie Couric called in Monday for the premiere of Fox 9's "The Jason Show."

Never doubted it, as I tweeted Sunday: "I'll believe @katiecouric won't make an appearance on @JasonShowFOX9 when 11:01a Monday arrives & she hasn't."

Though Couric did not respond to Jason Matheson's request to call in, she wouldn't have dared to disappoint him. Matheson's MyTalk107.1FM co-host Alexis Thompson was working behind the scenes on this one.

"I knew it was a possibility and a pretty good possibility," Thompson told me after the debut. "Jason had no idea, absolutely no idea. Kate had e-mailed me a few weeks ago writing, I want to surprise Jason. Ssshhhh, don't tell. I put her assistant in contact with Jeff [Orcutt, exec producer at Fox 9]."

Before the TMZ segment, Orcutt told Matheson to read the prompter because his mother's segment needed be moved up earlier than slated. "Hi, Jason. I think you were told it was your momma. It's not your momma and it's not your [baby's] momma," joked Couric. "Who is this?" Jason asked. "Really, you don't recognize my voice?" said the Yahoo Global News Anchor.

Jason looked genuinely shocked.

They talked about putting their "broadcast marriage" back on track in counseling, Couric's upcoming Donald Trump interview, the papal visit and her being on "The Jason Show" in the future.

Jason admitted on air that talking to Katie had him "sweating from top to bottom" and when it was over he said, "Well, can't we just roll the credits?"

My old boss at Fox 9 became Paul Magers' new leader Monday.

Bill Dallman, former veep and news director of Fox 9, who left here to be the man at Fox Sports 1 in L.A., was named veep and ND of the CBS-owned duopoly KCBS-TV and KCAL-TV.

"As long ago as graduating from college, if you had asked me what my dream job would be, it would be leading a newsroom in Los Angeles," Dallman told me Monday. "It's really the pinnacle of our world. I'll be in charge of 60 hours of news a week, a staff of 184 journalists, two stations. It was just an opportunity I couldn't pass up."

Dallman will now be in the L.A. TV ratings dogfight against former Fox 9 EP Hayley Herst, who left here to be EP of Fox's "Good Day LA."

Dallman is also the exec who made Jason Matheson a morning news anchor at Fox 9, built an entertainment show called "The Buzz" around Jason and OK'd him working at MyTalk107.1FM, which really catapulted his career.

Dallman had to remind me that Magers, KARE11's former über anchor, would be among the new CBS employees.

"I say Paul Magers' name and now you want to talk to me," joked Dallman. "I don't actually know Paul. I've met him a couple times and spoken to him a couple times, but I'm really looking forward to working with him."

One of Prince Albert of Monaco's accredited photographers, Alain Hanel, went to Saturday's Twins game with a reluctant comrade, actor Rene Tramoni, official spokesman of the Nice (France) Festival.

Tramoni was practically rolling his eyes about having to familiarize himself with the rules of baseball. Hanel apparently already understood them because he is that, I'm guessing, rare Frenchman who played baseball. Hanel was in town to shoot Circus Juventas photos for an upcoming European exhibition.

C.J. can be reached at cj@startribune.com and seen on Fox 9's "Buzz." E-mailers, please state a subject; "Hello" does not count. Attachments are not opened.