Ever since Katie Couric announced she was stepping down from 'The CBS Evening News' there's been constant speculation as to what she'll do next.

The most persistent rumor has linked her with ABC and that network's plans to fill the Oprah-sized hole in their daytime lineup. Now, it seems as though Couric will indeed be getting her own daytime talk show.

Even though she signed off from 'Evening News' last night, Couric's still under contract with CBS until June 6, so no official announcement about her future is expected for another few days. However, 'The Los Angeles Times' says she's close to signing a deal to launch a new ABC syndicated talk show in the fall of 2012. And, that it may reunite Couric with her former 'Today' colleague, Matt Lauer.

The 'Times' says that while much of the deal has been has been hammered out, there are still outstanding "issues" surrounding compensation. Couric landed a record-breaking $15-million payday when she signed with CBS.

The new talk show is expected to cost around $40 million to produce, which would largely be financed by syndication deals. Couric and her business partner Jeff Zucker would both probably be entitled to a share in the profits.

Although Matt Lauer recently told reporters that, unlike Meredith Vieira, he has no plans to leave NBC -- "I have a long-term deal with NBC. ... I'm gonna be here for a while" -- Couric's team is said to have harbored longterm plans to reunite the two 'Today' alums. It's possible that any Couric talk show could be delayed until after Lauer's CBS contract expires at the end of 2012.

Meanwhile, CBS News has announced that it has hired Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, hero pilot behind the 2009 "Miracle on the Hudson" as an aviation and safety expert.

'The Hollywood Reporter' quotes CBS News chairman Jeff Fager describing Sullenberger as a "genuine hero." Fager added that ex-pilot -- Sullenberger retired in 2010 -- will help viewers "better understand the stories involving safety and air travel that seem to pop up all the time. He is a remarkable person who has great ability to turn his significant experience into useful insights."