Couric close to $20M ABC deal? (TVG, TMZ, DH, THR)

By Nancy Tartaglione

On Wednesday, TV Guide reported that CBS had pulled its offer to Katie Couric for a syndicated talk show. NBC previously pulled out of the bidding, leaving ABC in line for the services of the departing CBS anchor. Early on Thursday, TMZ reported that Couric is close to a $20 million deal with ABC, which could result in a further shakeup in soap land.

TV Guide:

CBS was interested in keeping Couric in the family with a daytime syndicated program, but the negotiations have bogged down over the issue of how much of a role Couric can have at CBS News. The plan had CBS News continuing to use Couric on 60 Minutes and CBS Sunday Morning. ABC's offer gives Couric the opportunity to appear on a wider array of news division programs. The network's 2012 presidential election coverage and more prime time specials are said to be part of the mix.

A Couric source told TVG that the situation is fluid with both parties remaining interested. However, TMZ reported early Thursday morning that Couric and ABC are on the verge of a $20 million deal, which would give Couric her own talk show, as well as significant involvement in ABC News.

According to TMZ sources, Couric would do specials for ABC News, "20/20," and do a significant amount of fill-in work, including anchoring. ABC would also give her a 1-hour, 5-day-a-week syndicated talk show, that would begin in September, 2012.

Per TMZ, however, a big casualty could be "General Hospital."

TMZ:

Our sources say...one option ABC is considering is giving its affiliates back the hour where "General Hospital" airs to make room for Katie. In other words, ABC would axe the third, longest-running soap in history and the last one standing on ABC.

Deadline had earlier noted that "ABC will probably have to give an hour of daytime programming back to the affiliates and that would likely be the 3 PM slot currently occupied by General Hospital."

However, said Deadline, that doesn't necessarily mean that the sole soap on ABC's daytime schedule will be canceled as it may be moved to an early time period.

Regarding what happened with the CBS talks, a person familiar with the situation told The Hollywood Reporter:

"The negotiations just went on way too long. The deal just kept getting more and more rich, with more and more people involved. Then it was all the things that had more to do with news and that had nothing to do with a talk show. If she wanted this Tom Brokaw kind of relationship with the news division forever, it made them wonder if she really was going to put in the commitment it takes to do 35 to 39 weeks a year of original programming day in and day out on a talk show because it's a tough job."

Here's Deadline’s take on the CBS issue:

So is ABC now Couric's only option, or is CBS bluffing and will use its matching right to get her for less than they were originally willing to pay when NBC was a formidable bidder? Depends who you talk to. For CBS, which was the first company to begin discussions with Couric because of her association with CBS News, there certainly is an element of fatigue as talks had dragged on for months. Additionally, word was that there was some frustration over Couric's desire to continue to be very involved on the news side beyond the fall 2012 launch date of her daytime talk show. CBS' offer reportedly included a syndicated talk show with CBS TV Distribution, one of the leading producers of syndicated programming, as well as a beefed-up presence on 60 Minutes and CBS Sunday Morning and three primetime specials. But I hear there was a disagreement over how involved Couric should be in news after the launch of talk show, with CBS syndication executives wanting her to focus on the show and revert to her old Today persona of a bubbly all-American girl, and her requesting to continue juggling both.

And Deadline again on what went down with NBC:

...the abrupt end of the talks with early frontrunner NBC was surprising. I hear it was triggered by the rumor circulated a month ago that Couric's former Today co-host Matt Lauer might join her on the talk show. Word is NBC, which has Lauer locked in on Today until the end of 2012, was so miffed by the speculation -- which some link to Zucker, who worked with Couric and Lauer at Today -- that they pulled out shortly thereafter. That is approximately when ABC seriously entered the picture.

CBS has the right to match any ABC offer that comes in before the end of Courics contract on June 5.