Gayle King Announces New Deal With CBS After 'Overpaid' Anchor Faced Months of 'Firing' Rumors — 'I'm Open to New Adventures Here and Ready to Go'
Gayle King has signed a new deal to stay with CBS.
March 4 2026, Updated 11:49 a.m. ET
Gayle King has signed a new deal that will keep her at CBS News and CBS Mornings for the "foreseeable future," RadarOnline.com can confirm.
There had been concerns the beloved morning show anchor was on the way out as another casualty of new editor-in-chief Bari Weiss' "anti-woke" approach.
'CBS Is My Longtime Home'
The 'CBS Mornings' anchor will stick with the network for the 'foreseeable future'.
King announced her return in a statement, saying: "Rumors of my demise were inaccurate and greatly exaggerated."
"CBS News is my longtime home, and I am committed to our mission," she continued. "I'm excited about continuing at 'CBS Mornings.' As always, I'm open to new adventures here and ready to go.
"It took a minute, but we got there. And now that we are here, I am all in."
Her boss, Weiss, celebrated the news by sharing King's quote in a post on X, while adding: "There is only one Gayle King. We're so proud that she'll continue to call CBS home. We're thrilled to have her on in the morning – and equally excited to work with her on new, enterprising projects that bring her talents to new audiences."
Terms of the new deal are not yet known, but Radar previously revealed the 71-year-old is expected to take a major pay cut from her $14million yearly salary.
'Gayle Called the Shots'
There was speculation new CBS boss Weiss was getting ready to can her.
Speculation had swirled for weeks that King had a bullseye on her back due to her inflated salary and the fact that CBS Mornings continually trailed behind NBC's Today and ABC's Good Morning America in the ratings. The CBS show's audience share has been up to 20 percent lower than the year prior.
However, with the pay cut comes a much-reduced role at the network, which is just fine with King.
"Gayle called the shots," one source told Hollywood insider Rob Shuter, who writes on Substack. "She knew exactly what she wanted – less work, less stress, but still the spotlight."
A separate insider claims the deal was reached at a time when CBS is under fire.
"CBS loves her, but they also needed to make adjustments," the second source explained. "This was a perfect compromise. She keeps her profile, they cut costs, everyone wins."
Gayle King Addressed the Rumors of Her Firing
King could be taking a significant pay cut to return.
King addressed rumors she was on the chopping block in October 2025.
"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," she said at the time. "They like the job I'm doing. I like the job I'm doing!"
Insiders claimed the morning news host's team and network execs were able to find common ground on a reduced salary and workload during negotiations.
"She didn't just take a pay cut. She traded hours, meetings, and daily grind for the freedom to do special segments and interviews she actually wants to do," one source noted.
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Gayle King's New Challenges
She's also expected to cut her work hours and responsibilities.
Sources further explained King will be taking on new challenges in her new part-time role.
"She's basically moving into a 'special projects' role," an insider claimed. "She can still headline big interviews, still be a face for the network, but she won't be chained to a morning show desk five days a week."
CBS's top brass called the new setup the best for everyone.
"It's a win-win. Gayle keeps her reputation, CBS keeps a marquee name, and the viewers don't lose her presence entirely," a network executive added.
