Gayle King will remain at CBS Morning for the time being as part of her new deal with CBS News, according to sources.
The Wall Street Journal previously reported on King’s contract renewal with Paramount’s Skydance division.
“Rumors of my death were inaccurate and greatly exaggerated,” King said in a statement, referring to Variety’s report in October that he was expected to leave the show at the end of his current contract, which ends in May. At the time of the report, people familiar with the negotiations said that Mr. King had indicated he could leave the morning show and work for the company under a different arrangement, such as a production contract. Talks with King have expanded since then, with options such as a special correspondent role or a final year as host among the scenarios being considered, according to people familiar with the discussions. “CBS News has been my longtime home and I am fully committed to its mission. I am excited to continue working on ‘CBS Morning.'” As always, I am open and ready for new adventures here. It took about a minute, but it arrived. And now here I am, giving my all. ”
King’s decision to stay is a victory for CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss, who recently lost Anderson Cooper, a devoted contributor to “60 Minutes” for nearly two decades. Mr. King has appeared in recent weeks frustrated by the intense scrutiny CBS News has been under since Mr. Weiss, an opinion journalist with little experience managing a mainstream media operation, joined the company last year. “I just wanted to say a few words about working at CBS,” King said at a town hall meeting in January. “You know, I think we all walk around with gasoline in our pants.”
But King’s decision to stay on could have financial implications for CBS News. Mr. King is paid about $14 million a year, and “CBS Morning” is losing viewers, according to people familiar with the matter. In the five days ending March 27, the show attracted just under 1.78 million total viewers, according to Nielsen data. Meanwhile, NBC’s “Today” attracted about 3.2 million viewers and ABC’s “Good Morning America” averaged about 3.1 million. “CBS Morning” accounts for just 22% of all viewers who watch morning news programs on any of the three broadcast networks.
The show is also cutting back on advertising costs. Advertisers spent about $131.8 million on “CBS Mornings” in 2024, according to data from Guidelines, which tracks ad spending. However, in 2025, advertising revenue associated with this program decreased to approximately $119.2 million.
With Paramount Skydance’s deal to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery, there may be a sense among management that they can expand King into more stores. The acquisition will bring CBS News and CNN under the same corporate umbrella, along with networks like Discovery Channel and Food Network, which rely heavily on unscripted programming. Warner Bros. Discovery also owns OWN, a network dedicated to content inspired by Oprah Winfrey, a longtime friend of Dr. King. In 2023, King co-hosted a weekly prime-time show on CNN with basketball great Charles Barkley, known as “King Charles.”
“There’s only one Gayle King, and we’re so proud that she continues to call CBS home. We’re excited to have her on board this morning, and we’re equally excited to work with her on new enterprising projects that will bring her talents to new audiences,” Weiss said in a statement.
CBS News is considering various options to improve its morning show’s fortunes. At a town hall in January, Mr. Weiss said he would send Tom Cybrowski, the president of CBS News and an ABC News executive who at one point played a more important role in boosting Good Morning America than “Today,” to produce the program.
In prepared comments, Cibrowski appeared to suggest that the show stands by King and Nate Burleson, the current hosts. He called the duo “great partners,” adding, “I’m excited to continue to evolve CBS Morning and can’t wait to see what the future holds.”
