Gayle King is set to leave her role as co-anchor of "CBS Mornings" next year, marking the end of a 14-year run that made her a staple of morning news.

Variety reported that King's current contract extends through May 2026. Still, CBS executives are considering shifting her into a new position, possibly focused on developing and producing original programming within the news division.

Network executives have not confirmed her departure, saying only that King "is a truly valued part of CBS" and discussions about her future will take place closer to her contract's end.

King, 70, earns about $15 million annually for her role on the show, which she has anchored since 2012.

CBS News Overhaul Under Bari Weiss

The shift comes as new CBS News editor in chief Bari Weiss leads a sweeping overhaul of the division, following the sale of Paramount to Skydance Media.

Weiss, brought in by CEO David Ellison, has been tasked with steering CBS toward a more centrist editorial tone after years of criticism that the network leaned left.

Insiders say Weiss has already made aggressive personnel moves. "CBS Evening News" co-anchor John Dickerson announced he will leave at the end of the year, and "CBS Saturday Morning" will part ways with both of its co-anchors and its executive producer.

Weiss reportedly told the "60 Minutes" staff during an internal meeting, "Why does the country think you're biased?" leaving the room silent.

Viewers and Ratings

The changes come amid lagging ratings for "CBS Mornings," which has consistently placed third behind ABC's "Good Morning America" and NBC's "Today."

Nielsen data shows "CBS Mornings" averaged roughly 1.8 million viewers during the week of Oct. 20, according to Ad Week, far behind ABC's "Good Morning America" and NBC's "Today," which each drew close to 2.7 million.

Industry observers say the show's challenge has long been consistency, not visibility. King's​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ well-known face was part of the visual calm of the broadcast, and her leaving might be like a shock to the people who have been watching her for more than ten years.

The same thing happened to NBC in 2012, when the firing of Ann Curry from "Today" made fans so mad that ratings dropped significantly.

King​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ was initially a part of "CBS This Morning" in 2012, along with Charlie Rose and Norah O'Donnell.

When Rose left in 2017, she left behind a more serene atmosphere and incisive interviews. One of the landmark events in her career was the 2019 interview with R. Kelly, where the singer lost his temper and waved his arms while she maintained her composure ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌throughout.

In April, King flew on Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin mission with an all-female crew that included Lauren Sánchez and Katy Perry, later saying she felt the accomplishment had been dismissed as a "ride."

Off camera, King has long been one of Oprah Winfrey's closest friends, a relationship that helped strengthen CBS's ties with Winfrey's media ventures.

Before joining CBS full-time, King worked on Winfrey's magazine and hosted a talk show on OWN.

No formal announcement about her successor has been made.

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