Couric Appears Close to Deal With ABC for $20 Million for Talk Show--and Another Soap Opera May Get the Ax to Make Room

Katie Couric is reported to be in the final stages of working out a $20 million deal with ABC that would give the outgoing “CBS Evening News” anchor her own talk show along wtih work doing specials for ABC News and “20/20,” TMZ.com reports.Couric would also do some fill-in anchoring, according to the report, which is based on information from sources connected with ABC.Couric’s one-hour daytime talk show would air Monday-Friday starting in September 2012. ABC is reportedly considering giving back to affiliates the hour in which the long-running soap opera “General Hospital” currently airs to make room for the new Couric show--in other words, eliminating the network’s last remaining soap.The most likely slot for Couric’s show, after the network rearranges its daytime schedule, would be 3 p.m., according to the report.The $20 million is reportedly a guarantee for Couric and partner Jeff Zucker for the first year of the show.Matt Lauer, who was rumored to be part of the project, is apparently not going to be involved after all, the story says.