DIANE SAWYER feels network stablemate Katie Couric breathing down her neck – and she doesn’t like it one bit.
Because Katie’s daytime talk show is showing signs of faltering, the former “CBS Evening News” anchor is eyeing Diane’s chair at “ABC World News,” sources tell The ENQUIRER.
Katie, 56, is not only Diane’s longtime rival, she’s also more than a decade younger and feels her true roots are as a newswoman. “After ABC gave Katie a big contract, Diane was wary that she’d be looking over her shoulder,” divulged a friend. “And she’ll battle tooth-and-nail any plan to oust her.”
Katie’s talk show debuted on ABC stations last fall. After an initial swarm of curious viewers, the ratings have sagged to the point that she’s often beaten by NBC’s talk-show comic host Steve Harvey.
Katie’s gabfest is “in disarray” and may not make it through the upcoming season, said an insider, adding: “But there’s no way ABC is going to cut Katie loose and pay all that money left on her contract.”
Katie’s rep told The ENQUIRER she’s not interested in Sawyer’s job, adding that Katie is in talks to host a web interview show on Yahoo!
Meanwhile, 67-year-old Diane, who’s been the ABC nightly anchor since 2009, has sparked questions about her own future.
As The ENQUIRER reported last year, the veteran newscaster raised eyebrows when she slurred during election coverage. While some people speculated she was drunk, insiders blamed it on stress.
But the friend disclosed: “Diane insists she will go out on her own terms, not from any outside pressure from Katie.”
