Katie Couric’s talk show could be cancelled sooner rather than later (Report)

Katie Couric was expected to shake up the syndicated talk show landscape, but the former Today Show anchor’s show has been nothing but a nightmare for Disney/ABC Television. The show is not doing as well as expected and is far too expensive to produce. It’s close to being cancelled, according to one report.

A new report from The Hollywood Reporter paints the show as a disaster for Disney. When it launched last fall, it cost $50 million to make and, while the budget fell to $35 million for season two, it still costs more to make than an average $20 million talkshow. (In fact, the report notes that Couric, 56, got a $20 million, two-year contract.)

To say that Disney/ABC had high expectations is an understatement. The studio estimated that it would average an incredible 2.5 household rating, but its first season only averaged 1.7 and season two is averaging 1.8 so far. A rep for Couric did tell THR that she never OK’d that prediction.

Bill Carroll, director of programming at Katz Media Group, told THR, “They certainly anticipated the show would be doing better than it's doing...Based on what they paid for the show and the time periods they put it in, and the promises that were made, it just hasn't happened.”

Katie has also had a problem keeping its executives. Jeff Zucker had signed on to executive produce the show, but he left shortly after the show started to lead CNN. That began a revolving door of executive producers.

Insiders for THR said that Katie’s main problem is Couric’s drive to turn her show into a newsmagazine, which is the complete opposite of what the daytime audience wants from its talkshows. In addition, THR cites a Q Scores poll that shows only 10 percent of women have a favorable view of Couric.

What does make all this even more interesting is that last month, there was a NY Daily News report that claimed that Katie was on the verge of being cancelled and that Couric would move to The View, replacing Barbara Walters. Both Walters and Couric denied those claims.

A source close to Couric told THR that she is proud of Katie, but would be prepared to move on. He contract with ABC is reportedly up next summer.

image: ABC/DONNA SVENNEVIK

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