Rumours around Gayle King’s future at CBS Mornings in the US have kicked into overdrive, but the network’s long-standing anchor isn’t rushing to pack up her desk.
And in true morning-TV fashion, she’s doing it with a smile, even as CBS’s parent company undergoes one of the biggest leadership and content shifts in its modern history.
King pushes back on exit chatter
Caught outside CBS’s New York studio on Friday, King clarified she’s still very much in the chair, telling website TMZ, that from what she’s hearing, she’s not only doing a great job, but she’s well-liked at CBS.
Her take? The newsroom whispers don’t match the headlines.
While not fully ruling out a future move, King said she “has no idea” whether CBS Mornings plans to pivot when her deal expires in May 2026, emphasising she “loves what she does and the coworkers with whom she does it.”
And right now, she intends to keep doing exactly that.
CBS backed her up, issuing a rare on-the-record response: “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.”
A contract end
Behind the scenes, the picture is more complicated than a casual sidewalk chat.
Four industry sources say King is expected to exit the anchor chair next year as part of a broader shake-up at CBS News under new Paramount-Skydance leadership.
Her contract is reportedly up in May, with options on the table, including a potential new role focused on developing original programming for the network.
Paramount Global and Skydance Media finalised their long-negotiated merger back in August. The deal was valued at around US$8 billion, with the newly combined company will be named ‘Paramount, A Skydance Corporation.’
It begins trading on the Nasdaq under the ticker PSKY, with David Ellison taking the role of chairman and CEO, and Jeff Shell named president.
The transaction follows the US Federal Communications Commission’s approval on 24 July, more than a year after the merger was first announced in July 2024.
Paramount, A Skydance Corporation CEO David Ellison
A newsroom in flux under Skydance
The reported conversations come as Paramount’s ownership formally shifts from the Redstone era to the Ellisons, with a stated ambition to reshape CBS News’s editorial tone.
Bari Weiss, the founder of conservative-leaning outlet The Free Press, was recently installed as editor-in-chief.
Layoffs are already rolling through the business, with dozens leaving the news division and hundreds more cuts expected across the company.
CBS has also moved to sunset one of its most well-known franchises, announcing The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will end in May, a symbolic marker for the network’s post-sale reset.