CBS Mornings anchor Gayle King will reportedly leave the show next year.
King, Variety reported Thursday, could remain at CBS News, but in a different role. The 70-year-old, whose contract is up next May, has been co-hosting the morning show since 2012.
When reached for comment, a CBS News spokesperson told the Daily Beast that “no discussions” have been held with King about her contract. “She’s a truly valued part of CBS and we look forward to engaging with her about the future,” the spokesperson added.
An attorney for King did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
King’s move out of CBS Mornings is part of several shake-ups at the network, which is now operating under new Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss. She and CBS owner David Ellison have been aiming at appealing to a more conservative audience following the FCC-approved formation of parent company Paramount Skydance. That has resulted in dozens of layoffs and several show cancellations.
“CBS Mornings” anchors Tony Dokoupil, Gayle King, and Nate Burleson CBS Photo Archive/CBS via Getty Images
On Wednesday, Weiss, 41, ended CBS Saturday Morning, and fired co-hosts Michelle Miller and Dana Jacobson along with executive producer Brian Applegate.
Weiss also canceled the streaming shows CBS Evening News Plus and CBS Mornings Plus.
Ellison, the 42-year-old son of billionaire Larry Ellison, explained the moves in a memo to staff.
“In some areas, we are addressing redundancies that have emerged across the organization,” Ellison wrote, per The New York Post. “In others, we are phasing out roles that are no longer aligned with our evolving priorities and the new structure designed to strengthen our focus on growth. Ultimately, these steps are necessary to position Paramount for long-term success.”
At least one anchor has chosen to leave the network rather than risk being laid off.
CBS Evening News’ John Dickerson on Monday announced he would be departing at year’s end.
“I am extremely grateful for all that CBS gave me—the work, the audience’s attention and the honor of being a part of the network’s history—and I am grateful for my dear colleagues who’ve made me a better journalist and a better human,” Dickerson, 57, wrote on Instagram. “I will miss you.”
Dickerson, who had been with the network for 16 years, called out Paramount earlier this year for its $16 million payment to Donald Trump’s presidential library to resolve a lawsuit that legal experts called dubious.
“Can you hold power to account after paying it millions?” Dickerson asked. “Can an audience trust you when it thinks you’ve traded away that trust?”
Weiss has reportedly been eyeing Fox News anchor Bret Baier to lead the evening news program, even though his contract runs through 2028.
“I’m flattered by all the press and everything like that, but I’m in a multi-year contract with Fox,” Baier, 55, said Monday on Meghan McCain’s podcast. “I don’t know where everything’s going. I’m signed onto Fox, very happy at Fox, and we’ll see what happens at the end of that.”
Also a reported successor to Dickerson is the 48-year-old reliably pro-Trump CNN commentator—and former George W. Bush administration staffer—Scott Jennings.