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Report: Only Deal Currently Being Talked About For Katie Couric After She Leaves CBS News Next Month Is From ABC. Though, There’s a Catch

May 5, 2011  •  Post A Comment

The only deal currently being talked about for Katie Couric once she leaves CBS News next month is one from ABC, reports Nellie Andreeva at Deadline.com.

Couric had had offers from both CBS and NBC as well, but those are both off the table, Andreeva reports: "…after possible suitors had been whittled to two — CBS and ABC — CBS TV Distribution pulled its offer for a syndicated daytime talk show with her over a week ago, before Couric officially announced her exit from CBS Evening News last Tuesday. Meanwhile, talks between Couric and ABC, which was the last major player to enter the fray, are ongoing as ABC is finalizing its offer. That offer is expected to include a syndicated talk show, which would give Couric the ownership and potential financial windfall she had been seeking, and not a network talker as some had speculated, so there will be no alienated soap opera fans who would blame Couric for the cancellations of ‘One Life to Live’ and ‘All My Children.’ "

Andreeva adds, "Sources close to Couric’s camp indicate that there is still interest by CBS and call the offer retraction as ‘a good ploy to protect themselves if (Couric) goes to ABC,’ as CBS still has the right to match ABC’s offer. Other suggest that CBS is serious in its decision to not pursue a talk show with Couric. Whatever the truth, CBS is certain to take a good look at ABC’s offer to Couric, as her contract stipulates, before making a decision whether to match it or let her go. The situation puts ABC in a weird position: should they make a low offer now that they’re the only player and risk CBS swooping in and easily matching it or go high and possibly overpay if CBS is indeed not interested. (I hear what the suitors for Couric have been willing to offer her was $10-$20 million as an advance toward profits from her talk show.)"

One Comment

  1. Seems to me Katie has already had her financial windfall these last 5 years x $15M. Not sure viewers are hungry for her any longer.

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