Colin Cowherd shifts to primetime

Colin Cowherd has mastered sports talk radio, has become a regular presence on daytime programming and is now ready for the bright lights of primetime.

Host of ESPN’s morning gabfest “The Herd,” Cowherd has a pilot at CBS, written by Bill Martin and Mike Schiff, that’s inspired by the goings-on in his life — both on and off the air.

The idea came about after Cowherd — co-host with Michelle Beadle on afternoon series “SportsNation” — struck up a friendship with “Two and a Half Men” exec producer Eric Tannenbaum, who took the idea to Eye execs. CBS has gone the sports personality route before, with mixed results.

On the megahit “Everybody Loves Raymond,” Ray Romano’s character was a sportswriter. The 2004 skein “Listen Up” starred Jason Alexander and was based on Washington Post sportswriter Tony Kornheiser.

Cowherd says he’s enjoying the TV pilot process but won’t be consumed by the project, which has yet to be cast.

“A man needs to know his limitations,” he explains. “The mistakes people sometimes make is that they think they’re more than they are. I’m not a Hollywood insider. I do radio and am pretty effective at it. I would be kidding myself if I said I had any great acumen in producing. It’s not my field of strength. I know where I’m limited.”

While well-versed in all things Kobe, LeBron and A-Rod, Cowherd says he’d love to opportunity to chat about issues that go beyond the field of play. A discussion of events in the Middle East or a political discussion clearly interests him.

But he’s also a realist and understands that listeners tune in to his ESPN radio show to hear and chat sports.

“The only downside in doing sports radio that there are times when the Egypt situation is more fascinating than the games,” he says. “I always thought if someone offered me a general talkshow, I’d be interested.”