The face of “CBS Mornings” for more than a decade, Gayle King, is reportedly leaving the program next year, Variety reports, citing four people familiar with the situation. The news outlet reported on Thursday that King may move into a new position within the news department as it undergoes a reshuffle, alongside a leadership shakeup.
King may remain at CBS in new role
King’s current contract is slated to expire in May. But Variety reports that there are indications that CBS would like her to stay within the network’s news coverage.
Download the SAN app today to stay up-to-date with Unbiased. Straight Facts™.
Point phone camera here
The “CBS Mornings” anchor’s reported departure comes just days after “CBS Evening News” anchor John Dickerson announced that he would be leaving CBS at the end of this year.
Dickerson’s decision was reportedly his own, while Fox News’ Brett Baier shot down rumors that he would be coming to CBS as the new evening anchor, citing his multi-year contract with Fox.
Meanwhile, TMZ caught King exiting CBS’s Manhattan studio Friday, apparently blindsided by the news of her potential ouster from “CBS Mornings.”
“All I’ve been told by everybody in this building is that they want me here, they like the job I’m doing, I like the job I’m doing,” she said. “I don’t know what to tell you. What I’m hearing in the building is not what I’m reading in the press.”
Other big names may follow
However, as reported by The New York Post, other big names at CBS may also be facing an uncertain future under a new parent company, Paramount SkyDance, which is led by David Ellison, who recently installed Bari Weiss as editor-in-chief. Weiss has been tasked with shifting news coverage away from what Ellison reportedly sees as a liberal bias at the network.
CBS talent, such as Scott Pelley of “60 Minutes,” who publicly criticized former parent company Paramount Global’s $16 million settlement with President Donald Trump, may reportedly be forced out as Weiss looks to overhaul the network.
Weiss is also reportedly looking to oust “60 Minutes” correspondent Bill Whitaker, who interviewed former Vice President Kamala Harris, which is the subject of Trump’s lawsuit. Lesley Stahl, who has reported for “60 Minutes” since 1991, is expected to remain part of the program.
Overhaul of CBS programming
An end to King’s tenure on “CBS Mornings” would come after the network announced it will cancel one of its signature programs in “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” and CBS News announced that it would revamp its Saturday morning coverage, which included getting rid of anchors Michelle Miller and Dana Jacobson, along with the show’s executive producer, Brian Applegate.
King’s notable tenure
King has been involved in some memorable moments on CBS’s flagship morning news program, including a contentious interview with now-jailed artist R. Kelly, who stormed out after denying allegations of sexual abuse of minors. She joined CBS News in November 2011 and the “CBS Mornings” team shortly after, in January 2012.
