EXCLUSIVE: Gayle King 'Desperately Trying to Stage Manage Exit From CBS Mornings' – Before She's Booted Out the Door of Flagship Show
Gayle King is desperate to save face, sources say.
June 13 2025, Published 7:00 a.m. ET
Worried Gayle King is desperately trying to manage her own exit from CBS Mornings – before she gets pushed out the door, RadarOnline.com can reveal.
Sources tell us the network has given up on their once treasured star of 13 years because of the program's repeated third-place finishes in the morning show wars – and the 70-year-old broadcast journalist, who reportedly earns $10million a year, is well aware of that.
"This has been coming for a while," an insider said. "The network's been quietly looking for an off-ramp. King's salary was becoming harder and harder to defend – and she knows it."
End Of The Line
The departure of Wendy McMahon, left, has left King without her strongest ally at CBS.
"She's earning $10 million a year, and the numbers just don't justify it," our insider added. "Big exclusives? They rarely materialized. The stars still go to Today or Good Morning America."
Sources whisper the sinking anchor already took a $3million cut in her salary when she renewed her CBS contract last year – and the next step is inevitable.
The insider added: "They will try to make her exit look like a mutual decision, but make no mistake – she's being pushed."
Sources said the recent forced resignation of former CBS News president Wendy McMahon – believed to have been King's biggest supporter – is a virtual death knell for the high-priced anchor.
"Wendy was the only one protecting her," the insider explained. "Now that Wendy's gone, so is Gayle's safety net."
Tony Dokoupil and Nate Burleson failed to boost ratings after a costly studio revamp.
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As RadarOnline.com has reported, in April the flagging show posted its lowest ratings since its 2021 relaunch with King's handpicked cohosts Nate Burleson and Tony Dokoupil and a spanking new – and very expensive – Times Square studio.
Following the shocking showing, the last-place program is scheduled to move back to its far less snazzy former digs at the CBS Broadcast Center in September as the stumbling network continues to cut costs.
The move has reportedly left Gayle "livid."
Another source said: "She sees this as a personal attack. She expects the same level of comfort and prestige that she had at 1515 Broadway. No exceptions."
