Will Katie Couric be the new Oprah? It looks like the “CBS Evening News” anchor will soon be trading in her evening news gig for a daytime talk show.

The 54 year old anchor hasn’t officially announced she’ll be leaving CBS News when her $15 million-a-year contract expires on June 4, but a network insider has told The Associated Press Sunday she plans to do just that. And apparently, several news companies are already vying for her yet-to-be-announced syndicated show, which is expected to debut in 2012.

Couric became the first woman to anchor a major network evening newscast five years ago when she jumped ship from NBC’s “Today” show to take over Dan Rather’s chair at CBS. The network had big hopes that Couric’s ability as an interviewer would elevate CBS in the ratings, but after initial success, they settled into third place – behind both ABC and NBC.

Network officials haven’t confirmed Couric’s departure, but discussions are reportedly already underway to find her replacement. CBS veterans Russ Mitchell, Scott Pelley and Harry Smith are some of the names being tossed around.

I’ve always thought Couric’s talents were wasted at such a stodgy network like CBS. I can’t wait to see what her next project with be.