As in previous weeks, ratings for soaps are unavailable at press time but the numbers are out for talk shows including “The Chew,” “The Talk” and “The View.”

Since we reported an update to ABC’s decision to hand over the “General Hospital” timeslot in September 2012 back to its affiliates in the Disney/ABC Television Groups plan to launch a new talk show hosted by Katie Couric, fans have been up in arms over the possible demise of a daytime institution (on top of the demises of “All My Children” and “One Life to Live”) after a number of them started calling their local ABC affiliates and reportedly were told that the network had informed them they would be pulling “GH” off the ABC Daytime schedule as early as June 2012. Now an ABC Daytime representative tells Soap Opera Network that those rumors are just “not true.”

Although a “Days of our Lives” representative was unavailable for comment to Soap Opera Network, Soap Opera Digest is reporting what The Huffington Post originally reported, which is Lisa Rinna is returning to the NBC soap in the role of Billie Reed. The actress originated the role in 1992, nearly twenty years ago.

As part of the growing changes at ABC Daytime, the Disney/ABC Television Group has announced Mirian Arias as its new Vice President, Daytime Communications. Arias replaces Jori Peterson, who headed up the division for a number of years in the role of Vice President, Publicity, ABC Daytime and SOAPnet. Although Peterson has left ABC Daytime and SOAPnet, she remains part of the Disney/ABC Television Group as the acting head of the ABC Family Communications team.

“All My Children” ended its television run on Friday, September 23, 2011, but pop-culture artist David O’Keefe has captured the essence of what made the soap opera special to millions of viewers for more than 41-years courtesy of his new painting “A Tribute to ‘All My Children’ – Pine Valley,” which took two months from concept to fruition.

As previously reported, ABC soap opera “General Hospital” will lose its coveted 3:00 PM ET/2:00 PM CT/PT timeslot beginning in September 2012 when the network hands the hour back to its local affiliates. The move will leave ABC’s daytime lineup with just three hours left to program with “The View” already secured in the 11:00 AM ET/10:00 AM CT/PT slot. New talk shows “The Chew” and “The Revolution” will go head-to-head with “General Hospital” when it comes to the almighty dollar (ie. which show brings in enough income relative to cost) in a battle for the remaining two hours (1:00 PM ET/12:00 PM CT/PT; 2:00 PM ET/1:00 PM CT/PT). In place of “GH” beginning in September 2012 will be the new Disney/ABC Domestic Television syndicated series “Katie,” hosted by journalist Katie Couric, which was just cleared in over 60% of the country just six weeks after the sales period began.

Yesterday afternoon, Soap Opera Digest reported that “General Hospital” has named breakdown writer Shelly Altman as its Co-Head Writer working alongside Head Writer Garin Wolf. Per the magazine’s website Altman’s new role is effective immediately.

On Thursday, October 20, it was announced that longtime “General Hospital” writer Michele Val Jean would be joining the Emmy Award winning writing team of CBS’ “The Bold and the Beautiful.” Also on that day Val Jean was given the opportunity of visiting the set of the soap while they were filming so she could get a better feel of the characters and the actors.

As Soap Opera Network first reported yesterday evening, Lisa De Cazotte has been hired to fill the shoes of the departing Noel Maxam as Co-Executive Producer of NBC’s “Days of our Lives.” In a statement issued earlier today to the press, Co-EP Greg Meng confirmed that De Cazotte will be joining him as Co-Executive Producer and that, “[Executive Producer] Ken Corday is excited to have Lisa join the ‘Days of our Lives’ family.”

With the cancellations of “All My Children” and “One Life to Live” back in April it was unclear at the time as to where their replacement shows “The Chew” and “The Revolution” would film their daily episodes. Now with “Chew” filming in New York and soon “The Revolution” set to begin filming in New York as well, Soap Opera Network has learned that ABC Daytime is shifting much of its operations to New York City including talent management and media relations.