When did Gayle King join CBS Mornings? Anchor’s future at the network reportedly uncertain amid low ratings and other changes by new owners

The 2025 Met Gala Celebrating "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" - Arrivals - Source: Getty
Gayle King attends the 2025 Met Gala celebrating "Superfine: Tailoring Black Style" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. (Image via Getty/Dia Dipasupil)

Gayle King's future at CBS Mornings is reportedly hanging in the balance amid dwindling ratings and recent shifts in ownership.

ABC News 4 has reported that CBS's parent company, Paramount's new owner, Skydance Media, has pledged to the Federal Communications Commission to eradicate all political bias at the network, leaving King's future at the show uncertain.

The legendary TV host, 70, joined the show in 2012, though she joined the network the year before. As of late, she has been hosting the show alongside Tony Dokoupil and Nate Burleson. Her contract is set to expire in May 2026. It is reportedly worth between $13 million and $15 million.


Everything we know about the seismic shifts at CBS News and Gayle King's future with the network:

The Daily Mail and the New York Post have reported that Gayle King is shutting down her bosses' bids to draw her away from polarizing reporting. Sources told the latter outlet that some of her interviews, including the one with RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Bob the Drag Queen, have alienated viewers.

Ratings for the long-running morning show were as low as below 2 million in the last few months, The Post cited, adding that the hostess alienated between 20% and 30% in the last few weeks.

'The audience doesn’t want woke. It doesn’t like progressive and provocative bookings,' one of the sources told The Post. 'The morning show audience wants optimism and cheer and joy and what they were producing is at odds with audience expectations.'

The source also said that Skydance Media is unlikely to offer Gayle King the same deal in her contract due to the ratings. Shawna Thomas, her producer, was already instructed to ease back on the progressive content, but just 'didn't do what she was told.'

Thomas views herself as a 'major journalist who wants to do heavy reporting and provocative interviews with edgy guests,' insiders said. 'However, she was never sacked because of Gayle King,' they claimed.

The news comes weeks after CBS News announced that it was axing late-night host Stephen Colbert's show as well, who boasts a $15 million annual contract. Per the Post, the show lost between $40 million and $50 million just last year, though a source told the outlet that CBS Mornings is still raking in profits.

A CBS employee told Fox News Digital that Gayle King's colleagues are not too thrilled about her liberal views:

"A lot of people like how she says off-the-wall things. But also there’s people that don’t like it," they said. "Anytime you have a big name, they are going to be a target." However, she is "generally liked" within the network and "still has a lot of power in the morning when it comes to things she wants." "She is insulated by her team and ["CBS Mornings" executive producer Shawna Thomas] a good bit. But so are [co-hosts Nate Burleson and Tony Dokoupil] to an extent," the staffer said.

President Trump has already weighed in on the situation, as he took to his platform, Truth Social, recently to launch a tirade against King:

"Gayle King’s Career Is Over," he penned on Monday. "She should have stayed with her belief in TRUMP. She never had the courage to do so. No talent, no ratings, no strength!!!"

Stay tuned to SoapCentral for more.

Love movies? Try our Box Office Game and Movie Grid Game to test your film knowledge and have some fun!

Edited by Debanjana