Katie Couric may be losing her daytime talk show "Katie" this winter, but she won't be losing her title as "daytime talk show host." The 56-year-old TV personality will likely be the successor to long-time host Barbara Walters on "The View" when she retires at the end of 2014.
"Katie" just began its second season and is floundering in terms of ratings, despite the network's attempt to make the theme of the show more gossip-centric, according to NYDailyNews.
"They realize it will never be a success and ratings are down drastically from last season," a source said. "The ABC development team has been working nonstop on new talk show pilots and are looking at high-profile names to replace her, hopefully by January."
In addition, Couric reportedly isn't thrilled with the show's new gossip direction. A move spearheaded by new executive producer Rachel Miskowiec, who previously worked on "The Tyra Banks Show." An insider tells NYDailyNews that Couric is looking for a way out.
That out might just come in the form of being Barbra Walter's replacement on "The View." Walters announced her retirement earlier this year in May saying she would be leaving her on-air seat and take a behind-the-scenes role as an executive producer of the daytime talk show.
The hope from the network seems to be that now is a perfect time make the switch. It's important to not look like ABC is turning its back on Couric while still finding a way to get rid of the floundering talk show.
"Execs are so concerned about publicly humiliating Katie by canceling her show in the middle of her second season that they want to put her on 'The View' this year to slide into Barbara's chair," the source says. "The feeling across the board is that Katie is rejected by audiences when she is alone, but on a panel show she's incredible, and even not liking her can work in the show's favor and her favor."
