Decision 2012: Katie Couric and Ricki Lake to Duke It Out for Daytime Slot?

By Rob Shuter Posted Mar 16th 2011 10:02AM

Next year, voters will decide who gets to live in the White House, but among TV bigwigs, there's another choice to be made. Two former daytime titans, Katie Couric and Ricki Lake, are itching to get back in the game, but there's no guarantee the networks or distributors need both.

"They both want this really bad," a TV insider tells me. "But it looks like Katie has the upper hand at the moment, being courted by the syndication arms of both CBS and NBC Universal for her own daily talk show."

Ricki has made it no secret that she misses daytime TV, even confiding to Oprah in November and 'The View' in February that she would love to return after seven years off. But what is delaying a decision by NBC and CBS about Ricki's return is Katie, whose contract as anchor of 'CBS Evening News' is expiring.

"Everyone is super interested in Katie. She is everyone's first choice," one development executive tells me. "If Katie decides to leave CBS News after her contract expires following the election, then Ricky can kiss her hope of returning goodbye."

Of course 2012 is a long ways off, and a lot can change in the world of daytime. Another show can sunset or tank in the ratings, opening up more time and space for multiple new shows.

By next year, Oprah will have been off the air for a whole season and the competition for slots will heat up, but there are only so many networks and hours of the day that need to be filled.

Ricki or Katie, it's going to be one exciting battle.

Tags: Katie Couric, Ricki Lake

Comments

(233)

Wednesday 16 March

By tony

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if i were oprah,i would take ricki lake over pig rosie.

By stu

RICKI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thursday 17 March

By cc

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they should co-host that would make for lively tv

By Marilyn

I Agree, Ricki Lake!!!

By PamCHatten

Oprah will not be involved in the decision making process. It's ABC & NBC. Katie has had more success for both of the networks. It's Katie for sure.

By jan

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Not Katie, she has no spark left. Ricky is the best choice

By Charlie

Two left wing losers in a sea of hollyweird left wing losers

By dnkrpd

Why does everything have to be made political by you tea-baggers??

By chris

Why are you socialists so thin-skinned when any criticism or opinion is levelled at one of your own? Show a little back bone and let it slide for crissake. Conservatives do it all the time.

By ewolf97770

dnkrpd:
You try to make 'Tea Baggers' sound like an evil name, where as it is a good name, remember the history of the Boston Tea party? No more taxes! DUH, are you lefty's deaf?

By bob parks

They're more stupid than deaf.

By Pdlldy

Like they say…A Tea Party Is For Little Girls And Their Imaginary Friends.

By pdlldy27

By ha ha

You're just mad that Katie made Sarah look like a moron.

By stelci

You said it brother

By El Principe Soy

is there any one NEW, something FRESH where an opportunity is available to an unknown like Oprah was? Kaurie is a has been her current show sucks, in the morning show people around her were the show. It seems as if producers keep her around becuase of her late husband. Time to change!

By Ralph

Right on target (so to speak....)but Katie is a better back stabber.

By Brace

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Hey, dnkrpd, because that is what they are.

By Greg

Hey, dnkrpd, why is it that you libs on the left cannot face it?

By howardfrenkfort

Couric is vile.

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