CBS made it clear Gayle King’s future at the network hasn’t been decided upon, as they shut down recent reports suggesting otherwise.
“There have been no discussions with Gayle about her contract that runs through May 2026,” a representative for CBS told People on Thursday. “She’s a truly valued part of CBS and we look forward to engaging with her about the future.”
This statement comes on the heels of a Variety report, which claimed King was expected to depart “CBS Mornings” when her contract expires in May next year.
Per the outlet, the newswoman would possibly enter a “different role” at the news company, including a potential “deal to produce her own programming for the network.”
King has hosted “CBS Mornings,” the latest incarnation of the network’s morning programming, since its 2021 inception. Prior to that, she hosted “CBS This Morning” (the previous version of the show) as far back as 2011.
Across her 14 years, King had a number of co-hosts on CBS’ morning programming, including Charlie Rose, Norah O’Donnell, John Dickerson, Anthony Mason, Tony Dokoupil and Nate Burleson, among others. King, however, has outlasted several of these individuals.
Yet, King leaving CBS isn’t an unfathomable notion to consider, especially given the recent shakeups at CBS and its parent company, Paramount Skydance.
On Monday, “Evening News” anchor Dickerson announced that he would be leaving the network in December. This news came just weeks after editor-in-chief Bari Weiss began her tenure at the company. Then, on Wednesday, Paramount announced it would be cutting around 1,000 jobs (including executives at CBS Entertainment) to align with “evolving priorities.”
CBS News has faced sweeping job cuts, with reports figuring around 100 jobs on the line under the new era of CEO David Ellison and Weiss. These cuts affected CBS News’ streaming shows that were companions to “CBS Mornings” and “CBS Evening News,” with both being canceled, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The source also noted that CBS’ Saturday morning show will also get a format change, though it’s unclear whether or not it will keep the “CBS Saturday Morning” name as it’s absorbed into the weekday broadcast. Hosts Michelle Miller and Dana Jacobson, as well as executive producer Brian Applegate, were laid off.
Representatives for CBS did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
