CNN Makes Room for Novak

CNN plans to have its former golden boy, Bob Novak, on to promote his book after all. CNN executive Sam Feist told me this morning that the cable network was working to get Novak on Wolf Blitzer's popular and newsy Situation Room next week.

"While he's not hard-booked yet, we're trying to lock in a time right now before his window closes. Hoping to have him on The Situation Room," Feist, the former Crossfire producer, said in an E-mail. "We have every intention of booking Novak, hopefully next week."

It has been a tense situation so far. Recall that Novak's contract wasn't renewed with CNN after he had a blowup on air, which occurred while he was under fire from CNN and other media outlets for revealing the name of CIA operative Valerie Plame.

As late as Thursday, he said CNN was refusing to have him on. "CNN was asked," he said, "but did not invite me."

He's currently on a tour to promote his autobiography The Prince of Darkness: 50 Years of Washington Reporting. In it he blasts CNN and other media that didn't support him during the Plame case.

He spoke about his CNN feud as recently as Wednesday during a newsmaker breakfast at the Christian Science Monitor. Hear it here.