CBS has made it clear that Gayle King’s future at the network has not been decided, as they shut down recent reports suggesting otherwise.
“There have been no discussions with Gayle regarding her contract which runs through May 2026,” a CBS rep told People on Thursday. “She is a truly valued part of CBS and we look forward to engaging with her about the future.”
The statement follows a report from Variety, which claimed that King was set to leave “CBS Mornings” when his contract expires in May of next year.
According to the outlet, the journalist could potentially take on a “different role” within the media company, including a potential “deal to produce her own programming for the network.”
King has hosted “CBS Mornings,” the latest incarnation of the network’s morning programming, since its inception in 2021. Before that, she hosted “CBS This Morning” (the previous version of the show) as early as 2011.
During his 14 years, King had a number of co-hosts on the CBS morning lineup, including Charlie Rose, Norah O’Donnell, John Dickerson, Anthony Mason, Tony Dokoupil and Nate Burleson, among others. King, however, outlived several of these individuals.
Still, King’s departure from CBS isn’t an unfathomable notion to consider, especially given the recent upheaval at CBS and its parent company, Paramount Skydance.
On Monday, Evening News presenter Dickerson announced he would leave the channel in December. This news came just weeks after editor-in-chief Bari Weiss began her tenure at the company. Then, on Wednesday, Paramount announced it would cut about 1,000 jobs (including executives at CBS Entertainment) to align with “changing priorities.”
CBS News has faced drastic job cuts, with reports of around 100 jobs on the line under the new era of CEO David Ellison and Weiss. The cuts affected the CBS News streaming shows that accompanied “CBS Mornings” and “CBS Evening News,” with both canceled, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The source also noted that CBS’ Saturday morning show will also benefit from a format change, although it is unclear whether or not it will retain the “CBS Saturday Morning” name as it is absorbed into the weekday show. Hosts Michelle Miller and Dana Jacobson, as well as executive producer Brian Applegate, were fired.
Representatives for CBS did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
