REPORT: Three Top Liberal Hosts Expected To Be Fired

CBS News is reportedly preparing for one of its most dramatic shakeups in years, as pressure mounts from new corporate leadership to cut costs and boost ratings. According to a report from Puck’s Dylan Byers, CBS Mornings co-host Gayle King and CBS Evening News co-anchors John Dickerson and Maurice DuBois are at the center of sweeping changes under discussion.

King, who has anchored CBS mornings since 2012 and is widely known as Oprah Winfrey’s close friend, could be facing a significant salary reduction—or even an exit. For months, speculation has swirled about her multimillion-dollar contract, and now insiders say network executives see her pay as unsustainable.

“He and Shell view it as a significant cost burden, and would probably offload it if they could,” Byers reported.

According to Byers, new ownership intends to overhaul spending from top to bottom. “Ellison and Shell will embark on a plan to rightsize the business by reducing talent salaries, cutting operational costs, and, yes, laying off some staff, all in the interest of reducing that burden.”

Political director for CBS News John Dickerson attends the 2015 CBS Upfront at The Tent at Lincoln Center on May 13, 2015 in New York City.

CBS News has publicly disputed a key claim in the Puck report—that the division is bleeding cash to the tune of $50 million annually. The network called that figure “inaccurate” and insisted its news arm remains profitable.

“A published report that CBS News is losing ‘around $50 million a year’ is inaccurate,” a spokesperson for the division told The New York Post. “In fact, the division is currently profitable.”

Still, the speculation has ignited fierce debate about what the future of CBS News will look like under its new owners. The controversy comes after Skydance Media, led by CEO David Ellison, finalized an $8 billion acquisition of Paramount Global, the network’s parent company. Byers wrote that Ellison “certainly isn’t going to tolerate those losses,” adding, “And despite his paeans to Walter Cronkite and the importance of a free press, he isn’t likely to invest in growing that business, either.”

New York, NY – March 4, 2019: Maurice DuBois attends the Reconstruction: America After The Civil War premiere at New York Historical Society

Industry chatter suggests a major round of layoffs across Paramount is coming this fall. The Post reported Friday that Skydance is preparing for a November “bloodbath” that could hit every division—including news.

Some employees have gone further, speculating that the original $50 million figure was planted to justify cuts. Regardless of the accuracy of the claim, most observers agree that Gayle King’s deal—reportedly trimmed from $13 million to about $10 million annually in May—is a sign of the times. Sources told Page Six that CBS remains committed to her, calling King “a valuable member of the CBS News family” and emphasizing there are “no plans for her to go anywhere.”

Even so, uncertainty hangs over CBS Evening News. Byers reported that Dickerson and DuBois “will almost certainly” lose their co-anchor roles as the network pivots toward a solo-anchor format. DuBois is considered more likely to stay in some capacity, while Dickerson’s future remains unclear amid disappointing ratings and criticism of the current approach.

“These moves are about credibility and cost,” one insider told the New York Post, noting that executives want to prioritize hard news over lifestyle content that has frustrated some viewers.

CBS News President Tom Cibrowski is reportedly leading the charge, tasked with tightening budgets while defending the brand’s journalistic reputation. Whether these changes stop with salaries and anchor chairs—or extend to broader programming shifts—remains to be seen.

For now, Gayle King appears safe, but CBS Evening News could soon look very different. As one industry insider summed it up: “As much as it’s still sh—y over there, it’s good for her to wait and see what happens with the merger, with new people, if they can get their act together.”