Katie Couric Reportedly Nears Deal With ABC
Package would include "almost total ownership" of a syndicated talk show.
| Posted Thursday, May 26, 2011, at 11:41 AM
Katie Couric is reportedly close to a deal with ABC that would include a syndicated news show and time spent chasing high-profile stories.
The Daily Beast reports that the proposed deal with ABC includes “almost total ownership” of a syndicated program, which could net Couric even more than her $15-million-a-year salary at CBS.
According to the report, Couric’s team did not initially consider ABC a desirable option because at first she was only offered a daytime talk show owned by the network. But a deal is now believed to be within reach following coaxing by ABC executives.
The current plan would be to launch Couric’s syndicated show in 2012. In the meantime, the network would give the former Today host ample opportunity for exposure by allowing her to chase big stories for Good Morning America and Nightline.
But as The Atlantic points out, this isn’t exactly breaking news. Rumors of where Couric would land have been circulating since before she announced her departure from CBS in April. TV Guide, for one, offered a similar scoop on April 26, reporting then that “ABC has made a big push for a Couric talk show plus even wider exposure across its network news platforms, including a presence on its 2012 presidential election coverage and prime time specials.” That story also included a quote from a “person close to Couric” who described a deal with ABC as “a distinct possibility.”
A formal announcement is expected closer to Couric’s official June 6 departure from CBS.
