Gayle King recently confirmed that she would be staying on CBS Mornings. Since then, insiders have discussed the situation, including what may have happened to reach a deal, on both ends. Meanwhile, King herself has also released a statement about the news.
Gayle King’s Contract With CBS News Was Originally Set To End May 2026
King started her career working for various affiliate news networks across the country, from Baltimore to Washington, D.C. She would then go on to work as a correspondent for shows like The Oprah Winfrey Show and Good Morning America.
In 2012, King would debut as a co-anchor on CBS This Morning. She would remain on the show during its transition into CBS Mornings.
As previously reported, with King’s contract with CBS originally coming to an end in May 2026, there had been speculation that she could be leaving the network. However, she has since officially renewed her contract.
An insider recently spoke about the situation with Rob Shuter on his “Naughty But Nice” Substack. It was noted that King took a “substantial” pay cut in order to stay with the network.
There had also been speculation that, should she leave CBS News, viewers might soon see King on another network. However, sources told Shuter that rivals at NBC or ABC weren’t “lining up to poach” her.
One Insider Suggested Who Could’ve Taken King’s Place At The Network
The insiders felt that one thing especially gave King security: there weren’t a lot of people interested in taking the job. As the source mused, “It’s brutal getting up at 3:30 every morning,” adding that “top talent simply wasn’t interested.” However, the source shared that Norah O’Donnell might have been a realistic choice in taking King’s place on CBS Mornings.
However, despite the pay cut, the insiders felt that King was still in a good place. One insider shared, “To be paid millions to remain in third place is still a great offer. Gayle is lucky she got the deal at all.” However, another source claimed, “Gayle needs this job more than the job needs her.”
As previously reported by The National Enquirer, King is expected to take half of her original salary. Shuter had reported this at around $13 million.
According to Variety, King herself acknowledged that it wasn’t easy settling on the renewal. In a statement, she shared, “It took a minute, but we got there. And now that we are here, I am all in.” Having a sense of humor about the situation, she also teased, “Rumors of my demise were inaccurate and greatly exaggerated.”
What is your reaction to the insiders’ shares? Have you been following this story? Are you keeping up with CBS Mornings? Make sure you come back to TV Shows Ace for all the latest TV and celebrity news.
John Witiw has been a writer since at least 2015. He’s covered a variety of topics, especially when it comes to film and television.