Anderson Cooper Launching Daytime Show

Anderson Cooper will launch a syndicated daytime talk show next year.
The CNN 360 host has signed a deal with Telepictures Productions and Warner Bros. Domestic Television for a program that will be pitched to stations for a fall 2011 premiere, CNN announced Thursday. Cooper, who will executive-produce the new show, will also continue to host 360 "for years to come," the network said.

Report: Anderson Cooper nearing deal for daytime show

"Over the course of the past few years, I've had the opportunity to work on a number of daytime programs," Cooper said in a statement Thursday. "It's fun and interesting to work in daytime television. The format is unique and you can really go in-depth on a wide range of fascinating and compelling stories. With this new program I hope to relay important information and relate to people and the audience in a completely different way.  It's an exciting opportunity to show another side of myself and create something worthwhile and special in daytime."The daytime show will expand upon Cooper's hard-news background, covering celebrity stories, social issues, trends and events.

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"There is a great opportunity in the marketplace for this type of show," Warner Bros. Domestic Television President Ken Werner said in a statement. "Fall '11 begins a transition period when long established franchises are leaving the air and making way for a new generation of shows. Anderson Cooper is one of the most distinctive voices of the next generation of television. His popularity and skills uniquely position him to be the next big syndication franchise."Cooper, 43, is the latest name to join the daytime ranks as Oprah Winfrey prepares to leave to launch her network, OWN. Others include Jenny McCarthy, Dr. Oz, Nancy Grace and CBS' The Talk.Cooper is no stranger to daytime, as he's filled in for Regis Philbin multiple times on Live with Regis and Kelly. He will try to replicate Barbara Walters' and Meredith Vieira's successes in parlaying their serious journalism backgrounds into successful daytime gigs.