Gayle King Set to Continue With CBS Mornings
Gayle King will remain a key part of CBS News after signing a new deal to continue co-anchoring CBS Mornings, ending months of speculation about her future at the network. King’s previous contract had been set to expire in May, fueling rumors that she might depart amid broader leadership changes within the news division. Instead, the veteran journalist confirmed she will stay on the morning show “for the foreseeable future,” reaffirming her commitment to the program and the network she has called home for more than a decade.
via Variety:
The Wall Street Journal previously reported on King’s renewal of her deal with the Paramount Skydance unit.
“Rumors of my demise were inaccurate and greatly exaggerated,” King said in a statement, a referral to a Variety report from October that said she had been expected to depart the program at the end of her current contract, which ends in May. At the time of the report, people familiar with negotiations said indications had been made that King would exit the morning show and potentially work for the company in another arrangement, such as a production deal. Since that time, talks with King have broadened, and people familiar with discussions said options including a role as a special correspondent or a final year as host were among scenarios being considered. “CBS News is my longtime home, and I am committed to our mission. I’m excited about continuing at ‘CBS Mornings.’ As always, I’m open to new adventures here and ready to go. It took a minute, but we got there. And now that we are here, I am all in.”
King’s decision to stay is a win for Bari Weiss, the editor in chief of CBS News, who recently lost Anderson Cooper, a stalwart contributor to “60 Minutes” for about two decades. King in recent weeks had appeared irked by scrutiny being paid to CBS News, which has generated more attention since Weiss, an opinion journalist with little experience managing a mainstream media operation, joined last year. “I just wanted to say something about working at CBS,” King said at a town hall meeting in January. “You know, I think we’ve all been walking around with gasoline on our pants.”