Katie Couric has not agreed to a pay cut from CBS, or even entered into negotiations about renewing her contract, a person close to the "CBS Evening News" anchor tells TheWrap.
A wide range of outlets, including CNN and NBC and MSNBC have expressed interest in Couric, the source said. Relations with CBS are "very amicable" and she has no immediate plans to leave, said the source. Her five-year, $15 million-annual CBS contract expires at the end of May 2011.
Couric lunched over the summer with Time Warner CEO Jeff Bewkes — fueling speculation about a jump to CNN — and lunched last week with her current boss, CBS President Les Moonves.
"Katie is having a great time with her award-winning team at CBS," her spokesman, Matthew Hiltzik, told TheWrap. "While the speculation about the widespread interest in Katie is flattering, there are no new developments."
Bloomberg reported Monday that Couric was in preliminary talks with CBS that included the possibility of cutting her salary and possibly expanding her role under a new contract. One of Bloomberg's sources said both sides in the negotiations believed Couric would have to take a pay cut to stay at CBS.
But any salary cut would likely be offset by a new production deal or other venture, perhaps a syndicated show, that would significantly increase her overall pay.
