AP Photo/Joe Burbank, Heidi Gutman/NBCIs ABC, one of the most respected names in the news business, venturing to a place not even Jerry Springer or porn-movie company will dare go? Looks like it.
Springer and Vivid Video both considered, but then rejected offering big bucks to Casey Anthony, the woman who's been condemned by the world for the death of her little girl, Caylee, even though a Florida jury acquitted her.
So is ABC going to pick up where those less lofty outlets left off?
Quite possibly.
"We are very interested in Casey Anthony," said a source at ABC News. "Like everyone else, we're following her case very closely, and we would love to have that get."
Guess good ol' American TV ratings beat good ol' American outrage!
When I told the network insider I could just imagine Diane Sawyer deftly holding Anthony out to dry, while speaking emphatically for most of the American public who think Casey horribly wronged (if not outright killed) her daughter, I was corrected:
"She could," I was told. "But, ultimately Diane isn't that harsh. This is something that would be ideal for Katie Couric doing as her first big get. Talk about making a first impression."
As has been announced, Couric begins her still-unnamed talk show in 2012 (in Oprah's old time slot), and if Katie grilled Casey half as hard as Oprah did bogus book-writer James Frey, well, I think that would be one helluva a ratings-gold kick-off for Couric.
Regardless if Katie's the one who nabs Anthony or not, as we said, ABC is "of course, very interested" in making a sit-down with the accused murderess, we're assured by network sources.
Interesting move, as the poll we ran yesterday showed overwhelmingly that the majority of you don't want to hear bupkes from this woman.
A rep for ABC News tells us, "We don't comment on bookings."