Entertainment

Couric offered ‘60 Min’

Katie Couric may finally get the chance to become a regular on “60 Minutes,” now that she is apparently stepping down from the nightly news anchor job.

An offer to become a regular correspondent for the prestigious Sunday night TV magazine is part of the package being offered Couric — if she’ll stay and do a projected daytime talk show for CBS, according to several network insiders.

Ironically, Couric’s 2006 contract called for her to contribute to the magazine at least six times a year, which never happened.

When the show’s notoriously prickly producers failed to give her any assignments, Couric turned elsewhere.

Trying to develop a presence outside the 22-minute evening newscast, she began producing shorts for the Web, interviews, notebook pieces and behind-the-scenes stories that appeared on cbsnews.com under the title Couric & Co. and on her own YouTube channel.

Last month, Jeff Fager, the chief of “60 Minutes,” was put in charge of all CBS News, effectively ending any plans Couric had of extending her stay as nightly anchor.

But CBS’s top boss, Les Moonves — reluctant to push Fager to retain Couric as anchor — is still keen to keep her at the network.

CBS also happens to be the largest syndicator of daytime TV shows in the country — including “Oprah” — and is trying to talk Katie into doing a new show there.

The offer to give Couric a slot on “60 Minutes” could go a long way toward soothing bruised feelings, say insiders, and is not unusual at the show.

Outsiders like Anderson Cooper and Charlie Rose have reported for the show in the past.

Katie’s deal is up in June.

Scott Pelley, also a “60 Minutes” reporter, has reportedly agreed to take over for her permanently.

A spokesman for Couric last night declined to comment on the specifics of the offer.

“Katie’s on vacation this week,” he added. “Hopefully, the speculation about Katie can take a week off, too.”