Gayle King's $14M Renewal Challenges CBS Mornings' Shrinking Audience

This decision carries significant financial weight, as King reportedly commands an annual salary of approximately $14 million. The renewal comes at a time when "CBS Mornings" is struggling with viewership, attracting just under 1.78 million viewers for the five days ending March 27, considerably less than NBC's "Today" (3.2 million) and ABC's "Good Morning America" (3.1 million).

The show currently captures only 22% of the total morning news audience across the three major broadcast networks. However, the move may reflect a strategic play by Paramount Skydance, particularly in light of its pending acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.

This merger would consolidate CBS News and CNN under one corporate entity, potentially enabling King to be leveraged across a broader array of platforms, including those focused on unscripted content or Oprah Winfrey-inspired programming. CBS News leadership, including editor-in-chief Bari Weiss and president Tom Cibrowski, expressed optimism about King's continued role and plans to evolve "CBS Mornings" to improve its performance.