I've got some reasonably big Larry King news here, friends, that could well affect the future of one Ms. Katie Couric, so listen up.

CNN has just re-upped the septuagenarian newsman to a new deal that will keep him at the network until 2011. This, first reported on TVnewser.com late Tuesday, was expected, and re-upping King to one more contract is NOT "big" news.

But this is: King did not secure a guarantee to continue anchoring the 9 p.m. hour, which opens the door wide for Couric when she leaves CBS after the inauguration, as she almost certainly will.

There are a couple of things that seem to be going on with Katie that everyone save the man in the moon now knows about. First, she's miserable at CBS, which she thinks has stiffed her on resources and turned "Evening News" into the same old-same old nightly network news show. Here's the other thing: That she'd be happy to entertain an offer from CNN. There's a simple reality factor at work here as well: King'll be 75 this November, and while we can all agree his tenure has been a remarkable one, nothing -- and no one -- lasts forever. When the Katie-out-at-CBS story broke a couple of weeks ago, CNN -- with remarkable haste -- signed King to a new deal that will carry him through 2011. But Larry effectively was given the kingdom without getting the throne. Sure, he'll be at CNN -- but at 9? The answer to that is the only one that matters.

Christa Robinson, CNN's chief spokeswoman, said this: "Larry King is the best there is. He will be here for a long time. We are refuting in essence what you are speculating."

But did you guarantee Larry 9?

"We do not discuss contracts." (Verne Gay, Newsday)

Three weeks ago, Screen Actors Guild president Alan Rosenberg insisted that his union would push for a better contract deal than Hollywood writers got after their 100-day strike.

But just nine days into negotiations with the major studios, the guild is far from a deal and finds itself under pressure to settle quickly, as its members resist the idea of a walkout and another actors union prepares to negotiate an agreement that could undercut SAG's demands.

In addition, the guild must make its case without significant support from writers and directors, who settled their contract disputes earlier.

"The actors now are the caboose. They're taking up the end of the train, and they look around and there's no one else left to support them," said entertainment lawyer Jonathan Handel, who advised writers during their talks.

The studios and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists have both stressed that they want to reach a deal quickly during their upcoming talks, and avert a strike when the contract covering movies and prime-time TV shows expires on June 30.

The rush "has effectively clipped SAG's wings" when it comes to winning concessions, Handel said.

On Wednesday, the guild won a brief reprieve when AFTRA pushed back the start of its talks from April 28 to May 5 to give the SAG negotiations a better chance to succeed.

The federation made the move at the request of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, which represents studios. The alliance said it hopes to use the extra time to narrow significant gaps with SAG on unspecified issues.

Before the talks began, Rosenberg repeatedly said he would seek a better deal than the writers guild received on residual fees for DVDs and TV reruns and payment for content offered online.

Late last week, however, after just three days of talks, Rosenberg already looked exhausted.

He emerged from the negotiating room and headed for an elevator, a bag slung over his shoulder, after a brief discussion with negotiating committee member Scott Wilson, who has a recurring role on "CSI."

Rosenberg suggested his proposals had not been well-received by the studios.

"Inside, I'm seething," he said without elaborating. "You can't take everything to heart."

Both sides have remained publicly tightlipped about the negotiations. A SAG e-mail sent to members Tuesday made no mention of progress on residuals for DVDs or the Internet. (Ryan Nakashima, The Associated Press)