Elizabeth Hasselbeck to go to CNN after The View departure?

The rumors haven't quietened down yet about Elisabeth Hasselbeck leaving The View. The NYP reports that Hasselbeck will indeed be departing sometime soon and that CNN is looking at her!

Photo: ABC

One report the New York Post published persisted that Hasselbeck is still getting cut, saying,

Rumors swirling that Hasselbeck was on her way out forced Walters to say last Monday, “We have no plans for Elisabeth to leave this show.” But a source tells us, “ABC is desperate to freshen the show. Ratings are going soft, and research numbers on the stars’ likability are scaring network execs.

“Dumping Joy Behar, who was there 16 years, and Hasselbeck would be the fastest way to do it, they decided. After giving Behar the bad news last week and letting her bow out gracefully, someone leaked the Hasselbeck thing. Some enemies she has on the show saw their chance to get back at her. Barbara was spitting mad that it got mishandled, and called off the firing over [last] weekend.”

While we heard Hasselbeck would go when her contract is up next year, the source added, “It could be earlier, because the ABC brass believes the show needs to be younged-up fast. They easily could coax her to go early.”

“But, just as they did with ‘Live! with Kelly and Michael,’ they won’t rush. They’ll test out a number of hosts to see who works best with the women and the audience.”

The report listed possible replacements as George Stephanopolous's wife and actress Ali Wentworth, Christie Brinkley, and Brooke Shields.

A newer report now says that Hasselbeck could be going to CNN, as she is eyed by exec Jeff Zucker - with the report saying "We hear CNN honcho Jeff Zucker is interested in seeing her join his cable channel. A source told us, “They’re definitely interested.”