Regis Philbin inks new TV deal

[Brian Damage]

America is going to be waking up with Regis Philbin a while longer.

The beloved host of "Live with Regis & Kelly" has signed a new contract with the Disney Co. to continue on the show - which airs on Channel 7 in New York - for multiple years.

However, it is likely the new deal means Philbin won't be doing a lot of outside work for Disney competitors. One of the sticking points in the contract negotiations was that the new deal would limit Philbin's flexibility in the future to work for other networks, sources said.

Terms of the new deal have not been disclosed. However, Philbin recently told the Daily News his contract expires in 2011.

Forbes magazine previously pegged his annual salary at $21 million, and presumably he's getting a boost with the new deal.

In recent years, Philbin, 77, has been a go-to guy for networks other than ABC in need of a host for a game show or reality competition.

Indeed, last season he hosted "Million Dollar Password" for CBS and previously worked on NBC's "America's Got Talent." He also hosted Fox's New Year's Eve show in 2006.

Philbin, a television legend, has been on the breakfast show since 1983 when it launched as "The Morning Show" on Channel 7.

The program went national in 1988 with Philbin and Kathie Lee Gifford as hosts. He's been paired with Kelly Ripa since 2001.

Outside of "Live," Philbin generated huge ratings for ABC in the summer of 1999, when he was the host of "Who Wants to Be A Millionaire."

The show helped revive the game-show genre, while also boosting Philbin's visibility. ABC eventually killed the prime-time version of the show after running it to death, but the experience made Philbin more in demand elsewhere.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertain...w_tv_deal.html

[howierules86]

Originally Posted by Brian Damage

America is going to be waking up with Regis Philbin a while longer.

All right! This is very good to know, especially since he seems to have more days off than Kelly does (or is it just me?). Say what you want, but I think Regis is a great guy!