Oprah Winfrey's Designer Pal Nate Berkus Gets His Own Show

Updated 8:30 PM EDT, Mon, Feb 1, 2010

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Oprah Winfrey's designer pal Nate Berkus is heading to NBC.

According to the New York Times, NBC Universal and Sony Television reached a deal on Friday night to bring "The Nate Berkus Show" to a host of NBC stations across America via syndication.

Nate rose to fame in 2003, when he first became a guest on "The Oprah Winfrey Show." Oprah's Harpo production company is also behind his new program.

Rachael Ray, Dr. Oz and Dr. Phil all found success in television after their appearances on "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

But while it's good news for Nate, reports have surfaced online that this move was tied to the departing "Martha Stewart Show" – rumors that are not true.

On Monday, the New York Post reported that a deal to bring the Oprah-endorsed interior decorator to NBC, helped bring about the end of "The Martha Stewart Show," which had been syndicated by NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution (the same division with distributes Access Hollywood). But a source close to the situation tells Access Hollywood the two moves are not in any way connected.

Martha chose to get out of the syndication business, the source said.

The domestic goddess announced last week that she is taking "The Martha Stewart Show" to the Hallmark Channel.

Martha's company, Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, will also develop original series and primetime specials for the channel, the New York Daily News reported last week.

"I have been a viewer of Hallmark productions for as long as I can remember and it's always been a dream of mine to find a partner for our television ideas and productions that would really reflect our own values of tradition and family, and of being the type of producer of information that the homemaker really needs and wants," Martha said last week. "I am thrilled with this arrangement."

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