On Monday CBS Mornings co-anchor Gayle King is scheduled to embark on an 11-minute suborbital flight aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket, a mission led by Jeff Bezos’ fiancée, Lauren Sánchez.
The all-female crew includes pop star Katy Perry, former NASA rocket scientist Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, and film producer Kerianne Flynn. The flight, launching from West Texas at 9:30 a.m. ET, marks Blue Origin’s 11th crewed mission and the first all-female spaceflight since Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova’s 1963 solo trip. King, 70, has expressed a mix of excitement and fear.
The trip has sparked debate, with some framing it as a publicity stunt to bolster CBS Mornings’ flagging viewership.
Industry sentiment suggests the show’s ratings have hit historic lows, reportedly dipping below 2 million viewers, trailing competitors like Good Morning America and Today. Critics argue the spaceflight won’t reverse this decline, pointing to deeper issues with the show’s format, content, and anchor dynamics.
They claim CBS Mornings has leaned too heavily into polarizing or overly progressive topics, alienating viewers, and that its anchors—King, Tony Dokoupil, and Nate Burleson—lack the chemistry or draw to compete effectively. Suggestions for an overhaul include refreshing the show’s editorial focus to prioritize broader appeal and retooling its presentation to regain audience trust.
However, defenders of King’s trip highlight its historic significance and potential to inspire. The mission aligns with Blue Origin’s goal of making space accessible, and King’s participation could resonate with viewers who value her willingness to step out of her comfort zone. CBS Mornings plans to cover the launch extensively, with special segments starting at 9 a.m. ET, streaming on CBS News 24/7 and Paramount+. Supporters argue that dismissing the flight as a mere stunt overlooks its symbolic weight and King’s influence as a trusted journalist.
Skeptics counter that short-term spectacle won’t address structural problems. The show’s ratings woes predate the spaceflight announcement, with competitors consistently outperforming it in key demographics. For context, Good Morning America and Today often pull 3-4 million viewers daily, while CBS Mornings struggles to maintain momentum. Industry observers note that previous high-profile stunts, like Michael Strahan’s 2021 Blue Origin flight for Good Morning America, yielded temporary buzz but no lasting gains. They argue that meaningful change requires addressing viewer feedback about repetitive segments or perceived bias, rather than relying on one-off events.
The flight itself is a brief trip to the Kármán line, 62 miles above Earth, offering a few minutes of weightlessness and views of the planet’s curvature. Blue Origin has flown 52 passengers to date, including Bezos and William Shatner, with tickets costing upwards of $150,000. King’s inclusion has raised ethical questions, as some critics see her acceptance of the trip as conflicting with CBS News’ policies against freebies, potentially undermining her journalistic objectivity. Others, however, view it as a personal milestone unlikely to derail her decades-long career.
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