MUMBAI: ABC is looking across the Atlantic in a bid to spice things up. The network is reported to have signed a deal with British TV interviewer Martin Bashir. Bashir shot into the limelight recently over his controversial interview with pop star Michael Jackson.
A report in Media Guardian indicated that the deal is worth one million pounds. His contract with Granada expires in July after which he will relocate to the US. He will work as an investigative reporter for ABC News. He is also expected to play an important role in the interview show 20/20. As reported earlier by Indiantelevision.com Barbara Walters who has been hosting the show for many years will step down later this year.
Another report indicated that the above mentioned documentary Living With Michael Jackson was purchased by the broadcaster for around $five million. It got an average of 27 million viewers in its first run. The show was watched by 14 million viewers on ITV1 in February last year. In India the documentary aired on Star World.
However the spokesman for ABC News Jeffrey Schneider refused to confirm or deny the news. He said, "Martin Bashir is a talented journalist who would be a great addition to any newsroom. But we have no further comment."
Last year he had done a documentary which looked at the cheating controversy over the UK version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. The 'coughing' controversy which happened in 2001 involved a British colonel. Apparently several broadcasters were in the fray as Bashir had been looking to work in the US.