Since rumors began buzzing that Katie Couric would leave the CBS Evening News and launch a daytime syndicated talk show, the talk has centered upon a deal with her current home network. But then lately a few stories have surfaced that she’s actually looking to do a deal with ABC — and now TMZ.com is reporting that the latter bargain is “in the final stages.” Couric would get a one-hour, five-day-a-week show starting in September 2012, according to the gossip site. Alongside that, she’d get a special-correspondent role with 20/20, long the home of high-profile journalists ABC News doesn’t know what to do with. TMZ even suspects that the network would ax General Hospital, its last soap opera and one of the longest running ever, to make way for her. Katie’s Today show buddy Matt Lauer won’t be going along with her if she signs this deal, though. The price of the package for Couric and her producing partner, Jeff Zucker, is $20 million for the first year. This sounds like a great deal for Katie if it’s true — and we wouldn’t be surprised if it is.
