It’s been 10 years in the making: CNN might take over the bulk of news reporting duties for CBS News, leaving the tiffany network with a $15 million/year evening news anchor, a smattering of correspondents, and the best deniability clause should they manage to pull another Dan Rather. News gathering, as you might have heard, is terribly expensive, so CBS News chief Sean McManus, whose job it is to also oversee the much more cash-friendly CBS Sports, has been orchestrating a deal behind the scenes. It’s still not a definite go, but should CBS begin outsourcing that little thing called news, we might finally put to rest all this The Early Show unrest: Just bring in a CNN producer.

Update: Let the denials begin. “Insiders” at CBS and CNN, while acknowledging there were conversations, say there’s no plan to move forward with a deal.