Gayle King Could Leave CBS Mornings as Network Shake-Up Intensifies
Gayle King may be wrapping up her 15-year run on CBS Mornings as Paramount’s Skydance merger triggers sweeping layoffs—putting the show’s future reportedly on the chopping block.
Big changes are rattling CBS, and Gayle King might be part of the fallout. The network is reshuffling under its new owners, layoffs are already happening, and yes, even the morning shows are suddenly not so safe. Here is where things stand.
Gayle King and the anchor seat
Variety says Gayle King is expected to wrap up her 15-year run as an anchor on CBS Mornings. Her deal technically runs until May 2026, so the timing here is interesting. Right now it is not clear whether she would leave CBS entirely or pivot into developing her own projects in-house. A CBS News spokesperson, for what it is worth, says there have been no discussions about her contract yet and called her a valued part of the company.
Why everything is moving at once
The Paramount-Skydance merger put David Ellison and the Ellison camp in charge, effectively ending the Redstone era. With new ownership has come a broader reset at CBS News, including layoffs and a new editorial boss: Bari Weiss, founder of The Free Press, has been named editor-in-chief at CBS News. That is a striking hire that signals a turn in how the news division might position itself.
"In some areas, we are addressing redundancies that have emerged across the organization. In others, we are phasing out roles that are no longer aligned with our evolving priorities and the new structure is designed to strengthen our focus on growth. Ultimately, these steps are necessary to position Paramount for long-term success."
That is Paramount CEO David Ellison explaining the cuts to staff. Translation: expect more changes as they rewire the place.
Shows on the bubble
Here is the part that will make longtime CBS watchers do a double take. Inside the reorg chatter, CBS Mornings and the CBS Evening News are both being floated as potential cancellations. CBS Saturday Morning is more likely to survive, but with significant tweaks. The fact that any of these are even being discussed tells you how aggressive this reset might be.
The current scorecard
- Gayle King: Expected to exit the CBS Mornings anchor chair; contract runs through May 2026; could leave entirely or shift to developing her own programming.
- Network stance: CBS says no contract talks have happened yet and calls King a valued part of the team.
- Ownership shift: Control moving from the Redstones to the Ellisons after the Skydance-Paramount deal.
- New leadership: Bari Weiss installed as editor-in-chief at CBS News.
- Layoffs: Ongoing across CBS News as part of the restructuring.
- Programming risk: Insiders say CBS Mornings and CBS Evening News could be canceled; CBS Saturday Morning likely to be reworked rather than axed.
Bottom line: if Gayle does step away from the desk and the morning lineup gets blown up, that is not just a tweak — that is a full-on identity change for CBS News. Keep an eye on how quickly this all moves, because when ownership wants a new direction, things can go from rumor to reality fast.