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CBS stalwart Gayle King, who has fronted the broadcaster’s morning show for over a decade, is expected to step down from her anchor role on next year, according to a new report.
King, host of “CBS Mornings,” may switch to a different role in the news section, though this has not been confirmed, sources told Variety.
It comes following a major overhaul under CBS News’ new editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, which has seen sweeping cuts, the loss of two streaming shows and roughly 100 layoffs, amid other changes.
Among those to be let go were eight on-air correspondents and hosts, all of whom were women, and half of whom were people of color.
King’s existing contract with CBS is set to expire in May, per Variety, though it is possible she may stay with the broadcaster with a deal to produce her own programming.
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King, who has fronted the broadcaster’s morning show for over a decade, is expected to step down from her anchor role on next year
The outlet notes that former “CBS Evening News” anchor Norah O’Donnell, who stepped down in January, now works as a senior correspondent on a number of programs.
The Independent has contacted CBS News for more information about King’s reported departure from the morning show and her future with the network.
In a statement to Variety, a spokesperson said: “There have been no discussions with Gayle about her contract that runs through May 2026. She’s a truly valued part of CBS and we look forward to engaging with her about the future.”
King joined CBS News as a host of the morning show in 2011 when it was called “CBS This Morning.” It was rebranded to “CBS Mornings” in 2021, with King still as anchor. She currently co-hosts the daily show with Nate Burleson and Tony Dokoupil.
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King joined CBS News as a host of the morning show in 2011 when it was called ‘CBS This Morning.’ It was rebranded to ‘CBS Mornings’ in 2021, with King still as anchor
Speculation around King’s future come after CBS parent company Paramount Skydance finally followed through with sweeping layoffs and cuts that had been expected for weeks.
Following the announcement, a CBS News producer who was fired as part of the cull took to social media to suggest that executives were engaging in “race-based layoffs,” and claiming that every producer from his team who was laid off is a person of color while his white colleagues were relocated to other jobs.
The mass layoffs had been anticipated since chairman David Ellison took over Paramount in August following its politically fraught merger with Skydance Media. Ellison also promised the Trump administration that he’d eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion policies once he took over the company.
Network source stressed to The Independent that the layoffs were in the works well before Weiss was hired earlier in October.
