NEGOTIATIONS

Anderson Cooper in Talks for New Show

Will be pitched to stations next year.

Daytime talk shows may have new competition. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Anderson Cooper is close to a deal for a syndicated daytime talk show. The untitled project will not have a hard-news focus, and it is being billed as a topical format that will cover everything from celebrities to social issues to news stories. He is also expected to serve as executive producer. Cooper reportedly will not be seeking a release from his contract from CNN; rather he would do both 360 and the new show. Although Cooper has never had a daytime show before, he is not new to the format and style: He has guest-hosted for Regis Philbin on Live with Regis and Kelly, and he also experimented with a talk-show style show on 360 last year.