Posted 2:35 PM by Blah blah

Clinton Mulls Talk Show Options (Reuters):
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Network executives aren't talking, but informed sources said Wednesday that representatives of former President Bill Clinton are in discussions with CBS about developing a syndicated talk show to be hosted by the 56-year-old former commander-in-chief.

Those negotiations began after similar talks with rival network NBC, owned by General Electric Co., stalled in July. The sources, including one close to Clinton, said that but so far he is merely reviewing offers and keeping his options open....

Under a proposal from CBS, a unit of Viacom Inc., a Clinton-hosted show would be carried daily on TV stations owned and operated by CBS and sold to the highest bidder in other markets by Viacom-owned syndication powerhouse King World Productions Inc., which also distributes Oprah Winfrey's show.

The New York Times reported on Wednesday that Clinton has held separate talks with CBS and NBC about the possibility that he would host a talk show at a salary of $30 million to $50 million a year, which would be the highest ever earned by a freshman talk show host....

"He is smart enough to understand that if you're going to do a daily television show, it has to be entertaining and attract a large audience," the source said. "But he's also smart enough to understand that he could never do a show that would demean the presidency, and that he could never do a partisan political show."

While avoiding "personal problem areas," Clinton would want to combine discussions of "music and issues" with occasional performances by guest entertainers, the source said.