Zucker: Conversations about Piers Morgan's new job 'ongoing'

By Sam Thielman

On Wednesday's "Morning Joe," NBCU chief exec Jeff Zucker confirmed reports that "America's Got Talent" judge Piers Morgan could be allowed by NBC to replace Larry King at Turner cabler CNN, as rumored over the past several weeks.

Morgan's recently renewed contract with the NBC competish skein has been seen as a major roadblock to any position at MSNBC rival CNN. But when asked whether Morgan would be allowed to break his contract to pursue the position at CNN (which King will vacate in the fall) Zucker said that Morgan might not need to leave NBC.

"I can tell you that he's approached us about asking us to do another job as well (as "America's Got Talent"), and those conversations are continuing," Zucker said to MSNBC's Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough.

"And I don't think they're mutually exclusive."

Indeed, according to insiders, a deal has been struck with NBC that will allow Morgan to take the CNN job while remaining in first position as a judge on the Peacock's reality competish "America's Got Talent."

Zucker studiously avoided mentioning CNN by name and said that Morgan would definitely continue on "Got Talent" for the next three years. CNN continues to decline comment on any of the persistent rumors about Morgan.