Gayle King Could Lose Lucrative CBS News Gig

Media reports suggest that Gayle King’s 13-year tenure at CBS News, where she has been a prominent co-anchor of CBS Mornings, may be nearing its end due to challenges facing the network and her contract situation.

King’s current one-year contract with CBS News is set to expire in September 2025. Insiders report that renewing her contract could be difficult due to her high salary, estimated at over $10 million annually, which was reduced from $13 million in her last contract renewal in 2024. Sources indicate that CBS views her compensation as unsustainable given the show’s declining ratings.

Ratings Challenges: CBS Mornings, co-hosted by King, Nate Burleson, and Tony Dokoupil, has struggled with ratings, consistently placing third among major morning shows like Good Morning America and Today. Despite a temporary boost from King’s highly publicized Blue Origin space flight on April 14, 2025, which drew 3.9 million viewers for a rare first-place finish on that Monday, the show’s weekly average of 2.453 million total viewers for the week of April 14 was still the lowest among competitors.

Network Financial Pressures: CBS News is grappling with financial difficulties amid an $8.4 billion merger with Skydance, prompting cost-cutting measures. The network’s decision to relocate CBS Mornings from its expensive Times Square studio, built four years ago at a cost of tens of millions, back to the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street reflects these efforts. Insiders suggest that the merger’s first year will focus on consolidation, with King’s contract not currently a priority.

Reported Tensions: King was reportedly “livid” earlier in 2025 over CBS’s decision to move CBS Mornings from its Times Square studio, viewing it as a personal slight. This decision came shortly after she signed her one-year contract extension in September 2024, which she felt did not align with the network’s assurances.