Gayle King’s CBS Future Reportedly in the Air After Paramount Merger
Shakeups at CBS could affect more than just The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
Following last month’s news that the late-night series will end in May 2026, a new report from the New York Post alleges that CBS may not renew its deal with CBS Mornings cohost Gayle King when her contract expires that same month. Per the outlet, King previously signed an $13 million to $15 million extension with the network through next spring, and CBS will likely not offer her the same deal again.
The speculation surrounding King’s CBS future comes as Paramount recently sealed an $8.4 billion merger with the media company Skydance. According to the Post, the merger gained FCC approval following Paramount’s elimination of DEI policies and after Skydance agreed to hire an ombudsman to monitor CBS News for political bias.
The decisions seemingly go against King and her executive producer Shawna Thomas’ goals of promoting diversity and inclusion on CBS Mornings under CBS co-CEO George Cheeks. A source close to the situation told the New York Post that King and Thomas’ “agenda” has alienated fans, leading to a decrease in viewership.
“The audience doesn’t want woke. It doesn’t like progressive and provocative bookings,” a source told the outlet. “The morning show audience wants optimism and cheer and joy, and what they were producing is at odds with audience expectations.”
Michele Crowe/CBS
Though CBS Mornings has reportedly lost around 20 to 30% of its viewership in the 25-to-54-year-old demographic over the past three weeks, another source told the New York Post that the morning show is still profitable for the network.
The outlet’s report went on to note that former CBS News president Wendy McMahon was previously tasked by Cheeks with making CBS Mornings more appealing to middle America. Thomas allegedly ignored the initiatives in favor of highlighting minority groups.
“[Thomas] didn’t do what she was told,” more sources told the publication, also claiming that Thomas was not fired by McMahon because she had the support of King.
“In these cases, you have to fire somebody. Wendy McMahon was not strong enough. She needed a head on a stick, but Shawna had the protection of Gayle King,” an anonymous producer told the outlet. “Executive producers are the servants of the anchors. They don’t survive unless they do what the anchors tell them.”
More insiders alleged that there’s “a ton of internal politics” at the network, telling the Post, “The culture at CBS News prevents progress. There is something just ingrained in a place that was once so great that they can’t quite see the fact that to remain and be great again — whatever that looks like in 2025 and beyond — it requires doing things differently.”
King, for her part, did not respond to the outlet’s request for comment.
CBS Mornings, Weekdays, 7a/6c, CBS
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C
No great loss if she leaves. She offers nothing and needs to get off the Oprah train
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O
Personally I don't care if Ms. King gets off the Oprah train... I just want the morning show to not be part of it. No references to Oprah, her magazine, her book club, or anything else. The show would be able to stand without it.
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C
Absolutely
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R
The entire source for this is the NY Post? Come on. You're a journalist. Cite more than one source!
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P
Seriously, TVInsider, you can do better than basing all this from a Murdoch-owned, extreme right leaning tabloid rag that no self-respecting person would believe as actual news. Of COURSE their quoted source in the article is going on and on about "woke", "agendas", "progressive", that's the Post's entire bread and butter - like every other media outlet on the right, they go out of their way to highlight these stupid buzzwords to rile up their base and get them foaming at the mouth like the good little Pavlov's dogs they've trained them to be.
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A
Is this the same network that once aired "All in the Family" and other provocative Norman Lear sitcoms?
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The merger is not an $8.4 million deal. It is $8.4 BILLION. Proofreaders please note.
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G
You don't think the loss in viewer ship in the last 3 weeks has ANYTHING to do with CBS 's bending of the knee to this authoritarian administration ? Really you can't figure that out ???? I can tell you right now Gail, Tony and Nate & Vlad are the ONLY thing keeping me watching at this moment. But to be honest even that is not enough when a network bows to political pressure, you know that their news reporting accuracy and truthfulness is going to become suspect as well just like fox !!
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George Cheeks was Wendy McMahon's boss before she left, so her giving him directives doesn't make sense. If you're going to do journalism, at least get the basics right.
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The loss in viewership has to do with CBS policies, not the Morning Show. I feel bad watching it because I like the show but not CBS!
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B
I thoroughly enjoy CBS mornings. Find it extremely informative. And also love the humor. Tired of those who cater to one certain man who is extremely insecure who will threaten those who speak negatively against him.
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G
BYE GAYLE thank god !!! I heard target is looking for baggers, you may not even need Oprah to help you get that job
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