Gayle King attends a screening in New York in February 2026. (Photo by John Nacion/Variety via Getty Images)
Last week, CBS News triumphantly announced that it had renewed Gayle King’s contract, locking her in as host of “CBS Mornings.” King’s contract had been set to expire in May and—for a variety of reasons—it had become a top priority for the network’s leadership to keep her in place for the foreseeable future.
At the very least, losing King would have upset loyal viewers and ignited a Category Five public relations disaster, something the network really could not afford at such a precarious moment, especially as newly minted Editor-In-Chief Bari Weiss openly struggles to recruit talent. And so Weiss, who may not have fully appreciated King’s value when she first walked into CBS News seven-some months ago, worked with network President Tom Cibrowski to retain her.
When the deal finally closed, the 71-year-old released a statement declaring that “rumors” of her “demise” were “inaccurate and greatly exaggerated.” Weiss, meanwhile, praised King and said she was “so proud that she’ll continue to call CBS home.”
Notably absent from the announcement and ensuing crush of stories, however, were key details regarding the deal King signed with CBS News—some of which Status has since learned. Most notably, according to people familiar with the matter, King’s new deal…
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