It's money - or at least that's the scuttlebutt. TV Week says that she wanted way more than ABC was willing to fork over, even though the show's ratings have shot up in the past year. ABC exec Brian Frons had this absurd comment about how the network only expected her to stay on a year and that none of this is exactly a surprise. Well, who knows what the real story is - other than the noise you're about to hear is the sound of clickers switching channels. And what about Barbara Walters? Isn't it time someone put a sock in that woman's mouth - I mean, just for her own good. Here's what she said on air:

"I did not participate in the negotiations with Rosie. It was ABC Daytime. I'm going to read, oh, I did this and I did that, and it brings back a lot of other things I was accused of doing and did not do. It was between your representatives and ABC Daytime," Ms. Walters said. "It was not my doing. It was not my choice."

Yeah, sure (she owns half the show). Variety reports that O'Donnell has been in talks with Warner Bros. to return to daytime syndication - for a LOT more money. Buena Vista Television, which is part of ABC parent Walt Disney, would have to pass for any project to land at Warner.