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Katie Couric getting talk show, ABC News position

Disney/ABC Monday is expected to announce a deal that puts Katie Couric in a syndicated talk show in 2012 and gives her a position with ABC News starting this fall.

Disney/ABC Monday is expected to announce a deal that gives Katie Couric a syndicated talk show, which would run on most of the network's stations beginning in 2012, and also gives her a position with ABC News starting this fall. Former NBC boss and longtime Couric crony Jeff Zucker would executive-produce the talk show.

The Hollywood Reporter's Marissa Guthrie, with help from Alex Ben Block and Lacey Rose, broke the story here. It says Couric would appear on news programs, but not have any particular starring role, though she would get to lead some prime-time specials.

Disney would syndicate the talk show. ABC-owned stations (Philadelphia's Channel 6 is one) would give it a good starting foundation, but it would have to be sold around the country to station groups and local independent stations.

The show is described as primarily interviews, heavy on the kind of human-interest stories that were her forte at NBC's Today before Couric left to anchor The CBS Evening Newsfive years ago. Since it would only be produced 39 weeks a year and be in reruns the rest of the time, it would not be able to rely on news. Feature and entertainment segments may also be part of the show. Couric, the story says, would receive between $5 million and $10 million annually, more if the show is a success and she can renew her two-year contract with more favorable terms.

There are many logistics to be wrangled to get the show on the air. ABC has already announced the cancellation of soap operas One Life to Live and All My Children, and speculation is that it would be unlikely also to cancel its last soap, General Hospital. Many of the networks' big stations, including Channel 6, have already replaced Oprah Winfrey's talk show, which ended new segments less than two weeks ago, with local news programs.