CBS News Chief Bari Weiss Targets Gayle King’s Salary While Anchor Weighs Options
What To Know
- CBS News chief Bari Weiss is scrutinizing Gayle King’s reported $15 million annual salary.
- King’s contract runs through May 2026.
- The situation unfolds amid broader upheaval at CBS News.
CBS Mornings may soon lose a familiar face, as Gayle King has become a focal point in CBS News head Bari Weiss’s scrutiny of the morning show.
Variety reports that Weiss is zeroing in on King’s salary — said to be around $15 million annually — which she argues is no longer sustainable given the current, softer media market. According to a source that spoke to the publication, King is said to be considering various options for her future, including a possible special correspondent role on CBS News properties instead of hosting duties. This would allow the anchor to remain within the news division, much like Norah O’Donnell, who shifted from CBS Evening News anchor to senior correspondent earlier this year.
Another option would be a salary cut that would keep her on the air for another year, long enough for a final goodbye to her audience.
King, who has been part of the morning news show since 2012, may be a casualty of the recent CBS shake-up as her current contract is set to expire in May 2026. Variety reported on the situation back in October 2025.
At the time, the network denied the reports in a statement to the outlet: “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.”
King previously signed an extension with the network worth between $13 million to $15 million through next spring, and industry observers speculate that CBS is unlikely to offer her a similar deal again.
This development comes on the heels of reports that CBS Saturday Morning has been canceled under the network’s new editor-in-chief, Bari Weiss, who recently dismissed co-anchors Michelle Miller and Dana Jacobson.
CBS News has gone through several significant changes in the last few months, including adding editor-in-chief Weiss and several high-profile exits. The network’s parent company, Paramount, merged with David Ellison‘s Skydance last August, and the Trump Administration-friendly CEO has been busy reshaping the company.
However, amid the recent shakeup at CBS News, a string of missteps and questionable decisions has taken a toll on the division’s credibility. Among the issues were rushing newly appointed CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil into the role without time to promote the move, retracting a previously announced 60 Minutes segment because it put the Trump administration in a bad light, and airing a lackluster Erika Kirk town hall with no advertising support.
Last August, Donald Trump shared his thoughts regarding reports that Gayle King’s future at CBS was uncertain.
“Gayle King’s career is over. She should have stayed with her belief in TRUMP,” Trump wrote in an August 4 Truth Social post while sharing a link to the New York Post‘s report about King. “She never had the courage to do so. No talent, no ratings, no strength!!!”
King responded to Trump’s criticism with the statement, “I’m sorry he feels that way, but I like my job, [and will] continue to do my job.”
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