Katie Couric Signs Off from 'CBS Evening News'; Close to ABC Deal

Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Katie Couric's journey on CBS Evening News has come to an end.

Thursday night marked her final evening newscast with CBS after a run of fewer than five years.  Couric said, "It's been an extraordinary privilege to sit in this chair."  She concluded the broadcast by thanking viewers "for coming along with me on this incredible journey."

Couric joined CBS Evening News in 2006 after co-hosting NBC's Today show for 15 years, becoming the first female solo network evening news anchor in the U.S.  She announced her decision to step down from the ratings-challenged program last month.

Couric, whose contract with CBS expires in early June, is closing in on a deal with ABC, where she could launch an afternoon talk show, according to the Los Angeles Times.

60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley will take over as anchor of the  CBS Evening News beginning June 6.

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CBS Offer to Katie Couric Off the Table?

Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Katie Couric will leave the CBS Evening News by early June, but is she also plotting a jump to another network?

The Hollywood Reporter says CBS had offered Couric the chance to host a syndicated talk show while continuing to contribute to 60 Minutes and CBS Sunday Morning, but the deal is no longer on the table.  The negotiations reportedly stalled over an apparent issue concerning how much Couric would be able to contribute to CBS News programming under the deal.

The Hollywood Reporter suggests that ABC could be a landing spot for Couric.  However, a source connected to Couric says the anchor hasn't ruled out the possibility of remaining with CBS.

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Scott Pelley to Replace Katie Couric on 'CBS Evening News'

CBS(NEW YORK) -- CBS has named 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley the new anchor of the CBS Evening News.

CBS News president David Rhodes says Pelley "has a body of work few in the business can claim and will help us grow CBS News now and in the future."

Pelley, who once served as CBS' chief White House correspondent, will replace Katie Couric, who anchored the show since September 2006 and announced her departure last week.

Pelley is scheduled to debut on the June 6 edition of the CBS Evening News.

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Katie Couric: Matt Lauer and I Have 'Undeniable Chemistry'

Heidi Gutman/NBC(NEW YORK) -- Will Katie Couric and Matt Lauer reunite if and when she launches a talk show? Never say never. Couric, who confirmed this week she will leave CBS Evening News when her contract expires in June, tells People magazine she and Lauer have "undeniable chemistry in the most platonic sense of the word."

"We are like an old  married couple,” she says. “We finish each other's sentences. He is very committed to the Today show. But who knows?"

There have been rumors that Lauer could leave the Today show at the end of next year and collaborate with Couric on a new talk show.

For now, Lauer appears to be content with his current job. He told NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon on Tuesday, "I have a long-term contract. I'm not going anywhere."

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Katie Couric Confirms Departure from 'CBS Evening News'

ABC/Heidi Gutman(NEW YORK) -- Katie Couric, the first female anchor of a network evening news broadcast, will step down in June after five years behind the anchor desk at CBS News without improving on the show's cellar-dwelling ratings, she confirmed Tuesday to People.com.

Couric reportedly will announce her departure on air following this week's coverage from London of the royal wedding. She is slated to stay at the helm of the Evening News through May.

"I have decided to step down from the CBS Evening News," Couric told People.

"I'm really proud of the talented team on the CBS Evening News and the award-winning work we've been able to do in the past five years in addition to the reporting I've done for 60 Minutes and CBS Sunday Morning. In making the decision to move on, I know the Evening News will be in great hands, but I am excited about the future," she said.

60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley is rumored to replace Couric as anchor of the CBS Evening News when her contract expires June 4. The network reportedly wanted to give both journalists and the show's staff the month of May to transition.

Couric, 54, joined the last-placed broadcast in 2006 after a 15-year run as co-host of morning news powerhouse, NBC's Today.

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ABC Interested in Katie Couric?

Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- ABC could become a serious bidder for Katie Couric's services once her contract with CBS expires in early June.

Variety reports there's a "strong chance" ABC will offer the current CBS Evening News anchor a slot on its daytime schedule.  The publication speculates that ABC would cut back on its daytime soap opera block of All My Children, One Life to Live and General Hospital to make room for Couric on its schedule.  Of course, ABC already has a popular daytime talk show in The View.

Couric will be in high demand if she decides to leave CBS Evening News.  Variety reports NBC and Warner Bros., in addition to CBS and ABC, will pursue Couric, who is also rumored to be considering launching a syndicated daytime talk show in 2012.

Couric didn't provide much insight into her plans during an appearance on her former TV home, NBC's Today show, on Wednesday.  When asked by her one-time co-host, Matt Lauer, what the future has in store for her, Couric joked, "I'll call you."  They also didn't address the rumors that Lauer could leave the Today show at the end of next year to work on a new talk show with Couric.

Wednesday's appearance on the Today show was Couric's second since she left the NBC morning news program in 2006.  She was promoting her new book, The Best Advice I Ever Got: Lessons from Extraordinary Lives.

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Report: Katie Couric, Matt Lauer Explore Co-Hosting New Show

Charles Eshelman/FilmMagic/Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- Katie Couric co-hosted NBC’s Today show with Matt Lauer before going to CBS, and the pair may be reunited for a new daytime talk show, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The report quotes a source close to the situation as saying Couric and Lauer have discussed teaming up for a new show, but it’s unclear if the conversation will progress beyond the talking stage.

Couric’s contract as anchor of the CBS Evening News expires in June, and there’s been speculation she may step down to launch her own syndicated talk show.  Couric did confirm to The New York Times last week that she's been speaking with her former Today show boss, Jeff Zucker, about the possibility of hosting a talk show.

There have also been reports recently that Lauer has told NBC that he's leaving Today when his contract expires on Dec. 31 of next year, while co-host Meredith Vieira is also said to be considering stepping down from her duties on broadcast TV's top-rated morning show to spend more time with her family.

Couric and Lauer co-hosted the Today show from 1997-2006.

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Katie Couric Confirms She's Considering Launching Daytime TV Show

Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images(NEW YORK) -- As speculation increases that Katie Couric will leave CBS Evening News in the near future, the anchorwoman has confirmed that she may launch her own syndicated talk show next year.

In response to a recent report that Couric may work on a syndicated program with her former Today show boss Jeff Zucker, Couric told The New York Times, "We talk a lot and, yes, we've been discussing the possibilities.  That's true."

When asked what she would want her proposed show to be known for, she answered, "Hopefully for smart conversation."

Though Couric didn't tell the Times that she'll definitely step down as CBS Evening News anchor when her contract expires in June, there are widespread reports that she will in fact do so.  She's been the network newscast's anchor for five years.

Couric will release a new book, The Best Advice I Ever Got: Lessons from Extraordinary Lives, next week.

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