It’s been about six months since a bombshell report claimed that Gayle King was out at CBS when her contract was up. Her contract expires in May 2026. CBS News’ editor-in-chief Bari Weiss seemed to confirm that a new contract was signed. However, new details of the alleged contract only further put Gayle King’s future with the network in question. Keep reading for what we know so far about her new contract.
Gayle King’s Contract Revealed
Gayle King has been the face of CBS’s morning news program since 2012. However, Variety reported in October 2025 that the network wasn’t planning to renew the host’s contract when it was up in May 2026. The news came as a shock, even to Gayle King. She neither confirmed or denied the rumors, but made it clear that she wanted to stay at CBS.
The news of her rumored ouster came amid a massive shakeup at CBS after a merger between Paramount Global and Skydance Media. Bari Weiss took over as editor-in-chief of the network’s news division. Hundreds of staffers were laid off in October and even more in another cut this year.
Part of the shakeup included the resignation of both CBS Evening News anchors. Tony Dokoupil left the morning program to take over the evening news. Several months later, the network has yet to replace him on CBS Mornings.
Bari Weiss held a staff meeting in January to address the lay offs and the changes to the news division. She seemed to hint that CBS and Gayle King came to an agreement about her future with the network. Now, Page Six revealed the shocking details of the alleged new contract.
According to sources with CBS, Gayle King only signed on for one year. She reportedly took another massive pay cut to stay with the network.
Sources Say Future Still Uncertain
Gayle King has reportedly signed a contract with CBS, but her future with the network isn’t secure. An insider said that the anchor will eventually leave the morning news program and become a senior correspondent like Norah O’Donnell.
“There’s so much turnover. There’s not a permanent third host, it’s a lot of uncertainty, so flexibility for all parties is a good thing,” a source said about Gayle King’s future.
However, CBS denied the speculation. “Rumors about Gayle’s contract and future at CBS News have been demonstrably false for months, and this is no exception,” they told Page Six in a statement.
Her Final Farewell?
Speculation about Gayle King’s future at CBS has been swirling for months. One rumor claimed that the anchor’s one-year contract extension is her “final farewell” to the network before taking on a smaller role in the news division.
Fans took to Reddit to react to how the network has treated the long-time anchor and speculate about her next move.
- “The farewell tour might be the better role. Keep another year’s salary and get her own podcast or whatever in play.”
- “There is no reason for Gayle King to hang around there. If they don’t think she is worth what they’re paying her, she should just walk.”
- “This isn’t about salary, it’s about skin color.”
- “She can use her new leverage as an astronaut and work for SpaceX”
Gayle King has yet to comment on the reports about her new contract with CBS. For now, she is still one of the co-hosts of CBS Mornings.
Jennifer Havener grew up in a small town in Upstate New York. She earned her B.A in Writing & Literature from Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado. She always knew watching reality TV shows and soap operas, particularly ‘Days of Our Lives’, would come in handy someday. When she’s not writing, she’s playing with her dogs, Lola and Ruger
