The last couple of months have seen the Paramount/Skydance merger progress as the 2025 TV schedule continues to unfold. Considering what's been reported thus far, it seems CBS could look very different by the time 2026 arrives. There was the high-profile CBS News resignation connected to 60 Minutes as well as The Late Show's surprise cancellation. Now, it's been alleged that the Eye Network will part ways with another big name following the Stephen Colbert drama.
If this rumor is to be believed, CBS Mornings could be cutting ties with co-host Gayle King. Per The New York Post, sources close to the morning show program claim that this purported decision stems from the sorts of guests being booked for the series. A recent episode that saw Bob the Drag Queen promoting his children’s book was specifically cited. An unnamed source shared this supposed mandate for the Paramount/Skydance era:
The audience doesn’t want woke. It doesn’t like progressive and provocative bookings. The morning show audience wants optimism and cheer and joy and what they were producing is at odds with audience expectations.
This purported rule for CBS Mornings seems to align with Jay Leno's remarks about political humor. On the whole, this all feeds into Skydance execs' alleged attitudes towards CBS News, its programming, and its talent. That report supposedly called out Stephen Colbert and other hosts for “act[ing] as if they’re the IP.” With that in mind, a decision to not renew Gayle King’s contract would presumably be a move towards the “fundamentals” that this new corporate entity reportedly wants.
It also doesn’t help that the numbers provided in regard to CBS Mornings’ bigger picture would theoretically align with another concern: finances. Supposedly, the show’s ratings in the 25-to-54 year old demographic have decreased. There's reportedly been a loss of “between 20% and 30% of their audience” when compared to where the show was at this point in 2024.
Couple that with King’s recent contract renewal for a figure reportedly between “$13 million and $15 million,” and it looks like two dreaded words have returned to the forefront: “financial decision.”
The one-two punch of supposedly not delivering what the audience wants, while also signing is hosts for reportedly tidy sums, does not look good for CBS Mornings. However, no moves have been made on this front, as Gayle King’s fate is entirely hearsay.
With Paramount/Skydance’s merger still pending final approvals, the would-be corporate family is lining up its management to lead the charge into its new era. Should these rumors be true, it looks like Jimmy Kimmel’s prediction on late night’s future might be something we should keep in mind for the realm of morning shows as well.
What we can say is that Gayle King’s latest contract is set to expire in May 2026 - the same month in which The Late Show with Stephen Colbert will finish its run. So we'll just have to wait and see what develops in this time of reorganization and shaping of corporate vision.
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