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“CBS Mornings” co-host Gayle King is speaking out amid reports of a looming exit from the Tiffany Network’s marquee morning program as part of Paramount’s major shakeup.
“All I can say is this, from what I’m being told inside this building… all I’ve been told by everybody in this building is that they want me here, they like the job I’m doing, I like the job I’m doing,” King told TMZ as she was leaving the studio on Friday.
“I like the job and the people that I work with, so I don’t know what to tell you,” King continued. “What I’m hearing in the building is not what I’m reading in the press. And what I’m not going to do is negotiate it in the media. Not doing that!”
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King went on to say she has “no idea” whether “CBS Mornings” will be going in a new direction in May 2026 when King’s contract is set to expire.
“All I know is I am here — I am here and glad to be here,” King added before getting into a vehicle.
CBS News did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s requests for comment. A spokesperson for Paramount declined to comment.
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Variety reported Thursday that King is expected to step down as co-host of the CBS morning show next year after more than a decade, citing four sources familiar with the plan.
However, Variety suggested that although her contract expires in May, King may remain with CBS News and produce content for the network, resembling Norah O’Donnell’s arrangement when she stepped down as the anchor of “CBS Evening News” earlier this year.
“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,” a spokesperson for CBS News told Variety.
King joined CBS News in 2012 and was part of the network’s morning show relaunch, then called “CBS This Morning.” While other co-hosts rotated in and out of the program over the years, King kept her seat. But she has struggled to give CBS a ratings lift despite having a roster of A-list pals like Oprah Winfrey and her salary ranging from $10-15 million per year, according to reports.
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Her expected departure from “CBS Mornings” comes just days after network colleague John Dickerson announced he is exiting “CBS Evening News,” which he began co-anchoring with Maurice DuBois. Both programs have struggled to compete in the ratings battle against their broadcast rivals, trailing in third behind ABC and NBC for several years.
CBS News has had a tumultuous year, beginning with a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump over election interference allegations, which was ultimately settled by its parent company Paramount. It also has a new owner after Paramount’s $8 billion merger with Skydance Media.
David Ellison, Paramount’s new CEO, tapped Bari Weiss to become editor-in-chief of CBS News as part of his $150 million acquisition of her outlet, The Free Press, earlier this month.
Paramount also initiated a round of layoffs this week, affecting about 1,000 jobs.
Several divisions of CBS News, including its Saturday and livestream programming and its Race & Culture Unit, were gutted as a result.
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