Politics
JUST IN: Leading CBS Morning Anchor To Leave Hosting Role Amid Internal Shakeup
Longtime host Gayle King is reportedly set to step down from her role on “CBS Mornings” next year as the network works through a broad restructuring.
While speaking with Variety, sources familiar with the situation stated that the news anchor may be transferring to a different role within the network, though that has not yet been confirmed. The surprising announcement comes as Bari Weiss, CBS News’ new editor-in-chief, has green-lit a number of shakeups both in direction and staffing since taking over.
The shakeup has produced sweeping budget cuts, the cancellation of two streaming shows, around 100 layoffs and more. Among those already let go are eight on-air correspondents and hosts.
King has worked at CBS since 2011
King’s current contract with the network is set to expire this coming May, the New York Post reported. A source familiar with the matter told the outlet that a final decision on her future with the network has not yet been made, and any plans regarding her career following a potential exit remain unclear.
Another source reported that King, 70, has been taking issue with Weiss due to political disagreements.
In the past, CBS News has not refrained from shuffling personalities around. Norah O’Donnell, the former host of “CBS Evening News,” currently works as a senior correspondent for the network and appears on multiple programs after stepping down from her hosting gig back in January.
“There have been no discussions with Gayle about her contract that runs through May 2026,” a CBS spokesperson said following the surprising news of King’s departure. “She’s a truly valued part of CBS and we look forward to engaging with her about the future.”
King first joined CBS as a morning show anchor in 2011, when the program was still known as “CBS This Morning.” It was renamed to “CBS Mornings” in 2021, and King stayed on as its main anchor. She currently hosts the show alongside Nate Burleson and Tony Dokoupil.
Rumors first surfaced surrounding King’s future with the network back in May, not long after she participated in a star-studded all-female trip to space that was largely panned. In addition to outspoken political views that clash with Weiss, the network has reportedly zeroed in on her $10 million salary as a primary catalyst of her departure.
Speculation picked up once again earlier this month after Paramount, the network’s new parent company, officially announced widespread budget cuts and layoffs that insiders had been warning about for weeks. This is just such an enormously difficult day for so many people who have given years of their lives to this company,” Weiss, 41, reportedly said during a morning editorial call on Wednesday, according to the New York Post.
