• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, May 1, 2007

For the media trade press, the business of Rosie O'Donnell has given a kick to this time of year's usual boring May Sweeps stories.

Now, the press, which feasted last week on stories about why O'Donnell left "The View," can focus on stories this week that wonder what she'll do next, as well as whether Roseanne Barr or Connie Chung or Joan Rivers will get to take her chair on the ABC daytime show.

Stories have already suggested O'Donnell could do a late night network show, or another syndicated show. Either way, she can't lose in the next round - as the press has been amping her up. And with ratings up on "The View" --virtually all due to her frank remarks on just about everything, Donald Trump and Paula Abdul included -- there are more than a few producers desperate to get her services again.

Remember, O'Donnell's Warner Bros. daytime syndicated show was a virtual hit from its start in the mid-'90s. And now she's created a hit for "The View" in a space of a year.

TV advertisers love big, and most of all, successful, TV shows to market their products. Since there has been some ratings erosion in daytime -- as well as that in prime -- O'Donnell numbers would help the syndication business, were she to head back into that arena.

Still, advertisers don't necessarily like fickle performers -- or shows. She was only on "The View" for a year. One of the draws to syndication is that it has multi-decade running shows such as "Wheel of Fortune" and "Entertainment Tonight" and "Oprah."

So now one wonders how advertisers will react wherever she lands. Would they buy her at a discount because of possible controversial remarks going the wrong way -- or for the simple reason that she may not stay around long enough?

I'm looking for a full view, here.