Oprah Winfrey’s new protégé, Nate Berkus, is going to be on Ch. 4 this fall.
WNBC won a spirited bidding war for the new daytime show which features the interior decorator in what promises to be the can’t-miss series of next season.
The deal to bring Berkus to Ch. 4 was, for all intents and purposes, the end of Martha Stewart on the station.
Stewart announced last week that she was taking her show to cable starting next season.
But now it appears clear that she jumped to the Hallmark Channel when NBC decided to drop her and pick up the Oprah-backed show in its place.
Berkus, 39, has been a regular guest on Winfrey’s afternoon show — the latest of string of talented specialists who have, with Oprah’s backing, gone on to make shows of the their own.
Dr. Phil, Rachael Ray and Dr. Oz all started off as Oprah protégés.
The success of those three shows made Berkus a hot item for next year.