Gayle King is expected to leave as ‘CBS Mornings’ anchor
Gayle King, who has been the face of CBS News’ morning show for more than a decade, is expected to leave as anchor of the morning show next year, according to four people with knowledge of the situation. King could shift to another role at the news department, which is being overhauled under the new Paramount Skydance regime.
King’s existing contract expires in May. There are signs that CBS would like her to stay in the news department, possibly with a deal to produce her own programs for the network. Norah O’Donnell, who previously hosted “CBS Evening News,” left her position in January and moved to senior correspondent for CBS News, where she contributed to a range of programs and reporting.
Negotiations are about to begin just as Paramount cuts ties with dozens of CBS News employees and hundreds of others within the larger company. King would be the latest in a parade of top CBS talents leaving their current roles as corporate ownership of the company shifts from the Redstones, the former controlling shareholders, to the Ellisons, who have expressed a desire to move CBS News away from content they believe leans too heavily toward the liberal. Bari Weiss, a digital entrepreneur who launched the conservative opinion site The Free Press, was named editor-in-chief of CBS News earlier this month. King’s future with the division is high on the list of issues Weiss must address.
In response to Variety‘s request for comment on King’s future at “CBS Mornings,” a CBS News spokesperson said, “There have been no discussions with Gayle regarding her contract, which runs through May 2026. She is a truly valued part of CBS and we look forward to engaging with her about the future.” An attorney for King, Lawrence Shire of Grubman Shire Meiselas & Sacks, did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
As the Ellisons tightened their grip on Paramount, CBS made significant changes. CBS canceled its signature late-night program, “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” which ends in May, ahead of Paramount’s official sale to Skydance Media. And the network is saying goodbye to John Dickerson, half of the current anchor team of “CBS Evening News.” On Wednesday, CBS News said it would overhaul its Saturday morning program and cut ties with its co-hosts Michelle Miller and Dana Jacobson, as well as the show’s executive producer Brian Applegate. Lisa Ling and Nikki Battiste are among the other high-profile staffers who will be leaving.
Moving King is a risky maneuver, especially since morning TV is built on the relationships viewers build with the hosts. If audiences feel King has been dismissed for no good reason, they could be ripe for the harvest from rivals like NBC’s “Today” or ABC’s “Good Morning America.” NBC News has discovered this challenge twice over the years. Audiences weren’t thrilled with Deborah Norville when she became co-host of “Today” in 1989, noticing that she had bumped into the previous co-host, Jane Pauley. And viewers were disappointed with “Today” in 2012, when Ann Curry was pushed out of her role as co-host after producers worried about the rapport between her and co-host Matt Lauer. However, viewers did not feel the same way, and ‘Today’ continued to lose viewers and ratings after her departure.
At the same time, CBS’ morning programs have long ranked third behind NBC and ABC, despite multiple format changes and the talent behind the early desks. “CBS Mornings” averaged just 1.8 million viewers for the five days ending Oct. 20, according to Nielsen data. During that same time frame, ABC’s “Good Morning America” averaged nearly 2.71 million visitors, while NBC’s “Today” averaged nearly 2.69 million. Paramount Skydance executives have recruited Weiss to bring more energy to CBS News’ programming lineup, and CEO David Ellison has said he wants to appeal to a broader group of viewers across the country.
King, who first signed a deal at CBS News in November 2011 and joined CBS This Morning in January, has spent fourteen years on morning television — no small feat in today’s media landscape. CBS gained some traction with her first program, “CBS This Morning,” on which she worked with Charlie Rose and Norah O’Donnell. When Rose left following sexual harassment allegations, which he denied, King helped move the show forward alongside Anthony Mason and Tony Dokoupil, then Dokoupil and Nate Burleson. The show is now known as ‘CBS Mornings’.
As the news economics become less secure and viewers turn to streaming and social media for their first facts, traditional TV news venues have said goodbye to veteran anchors and correspondents or moved them to less costly positions. O’Donnell of CBS, Hoda Kotb of NBC News and Steve Doocy of Andrea Mitchell and Fox News are among those who have left their prominent daily anchor jobs in favor of new roles that keep them connected to their networks but give them less regular screen time. Veterans who left their news employers in the past year include Chris Wallace of CNN and Alisyn Camerota and Neil Cavuto of Fox News.
Meanwhile, NBC News and CNN are among media outlets that have cut or reshuffled positions as they try to transition to new digital distribution models
King created several milestone moments during her tenure. In 2019, she turned heads with her interview with R. Kelly, maintaining her composure as the singer-producer stood up from his seat and yelled at her while denying child sex abuse allegations that later landed him in jail. Earlier this year, King traveled to space on a Blue Origin flight with an all-female crew of astronauts, including Katy Perry, Lauren Sánchez and others.
She also helped CBS News build a relationship with Oprah Winfrey, a close friend who has been a King supporter since the two worked together earlier in their respective careers. For a time, King helped run Winfrey’s magazine, published by Hearst, leaving her morning show duties for a full day of magazine work in the late morning and afternoon.
Selome Hailu contributed to this story.
