Us Weekly magazine is making a move toward having its own reality show on cabler E! Entertainment Television.
Sources said the deal is not inked yet, but mag's management has asked employees to waive their rights, which would allow for a free-ranging camera crew to film them at staff meetings and other various mag-related events.
The show likely would appear on Thursday nights at 10 p.m.
E! and Us Weekly are both partially owned by Disney.
Us Weekly has enjoyed a fast spike in newsstand sales under the leadership of editor in chief Bonnie Fuller, who arrived last March. She later was tapped editor of the year by Advertising Age.
Under her leadership, circulation grew by 30% in 2002 and ad sales increased 8.8% in 2002 from 2001.
In December, Fuller matched People Weekly's ad revenue growth. The much larger Time Inc. title jumped 47% to $90 million vs. the previous December.
Us almost kept up the pace, spiking 43% to $8.3 million.
Renowned for its high employee turnover and crack-of-dawn weekly closes, Us has become somewhat notorious for its taxing work conditions.
Publicists at Wenner could not be reached for comment.
It remains to be seen whether the Us program would feature Fuller, whose contract is up for renewal in March.
Chairman Jann S. Wenner, who is said to have returned this week from vacation, has not yet reupped Fuller.
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