Fred Thompson Mentioned for Paul Harvey’s Spot (Someday)

The buzz on the programming side today is that Fred Thompson is the “leading contender” to succeed Paul Harvey, according to New York Post columnist John Mainelli.
Thompson is the former U.S. senator who often plays, well, U.S. senators (and similar parts) on TV.
“Thompson met with ABC Radio execs late last year, and several insiders say he’s at the top of a short list to take over the top-rated 87-year-old broadcaster’s three daily ‘news and comment’ programs,” the Post reported, noting that Harvey “appeared frail” in public last fall. But Harvey is in the middle of a 10-year, $100 million contract with ABC Radio. The Post said Thompson’s office declined comment and it quoted an ABC official as saying, “We have spoken to Sen. Thompson, but we talk to talent all the time about many different roles. There’s no replacing Paul Harvey.”