Dec. 15 (Bloomberg) -- David Letterman, the host of CBS Corp.'s ``Late Night with David Letterman,'' is pursing a deal with the Writers Guild of America that would allow his show to return to the air in early January, even if the writers remain on strike, the New York Times reported.

The deal will be the first significant break in the Hollywood writer's action and may place Letterman at an advantage over most of his late-night competitors, the Times said.

Letterman is the only late-night host who owns his show through an independent production company, the Times reported. Other hosts' shows are owned by their respective networks and therefore can't negotiate independently with the Guild, the Times said.

The executives from Letterman's company said an agreement with the guild hasn't been finalized, the Times reported. The Guild said it was open to negotiations with various production entities in a letter released today, the Times said.