Gayle King's CBS Mornings future 'murky' over $15m-a-year star's DEI agenda blamed for tanking ratings
Gayle King's future at CBS Mornings is uncertain as networks boss are not happy with the star's focus on DEI and tanking ratings, according to a new report.
King, who earns and eye-watering $15million a year, has reportedly refused to follow her bosses' attempts to move away from polarizing coverage, sources told the New York Post.
The sources claimed that the 70-year-old anchor and her executive producer Shawna Thomas have alienated viewers with ultra-progressive programming, like an interview with RuPaul’s Drag Race winner Bob the Drag Queen, who was promoting his 'gender-bending' novel Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert.
Ratings for the last-place morning show, once a cash cow for the network, have dropped to below 2million in recent months, according to Nielsen figures cited by The Post.
Meanwhile Gayle lost between 20 to 30 percent of her audience in the last three weeks when compared to last year in the coveted 25- to 54-year-old demographic.
'The audience doesn’t want woke. It doesn’t like progressive and provocative bookings,' one of the sources told The Post.
Gayle King's $15million salary at CBS News is uncertain as the show's ratings continue to plummet. She is pictured with co-hosts Tony Dokoupil and Nate Burleson, and executive producer Shawna Thomas in June
The sources claimed Gayle and her executive producer Thomas have alienated viewers with ultra-progressive programming, like an interview with Drag Race winner Bob the Drag Queen
Thomas views herself as a 'major journalist who wants to heavy reporting and provocative interviews with edgy guests
'The morning show audience wants optimism and cheer and joy and what they were producing is at odds with audience expectations.'
Gayle signed a contract extension last year for between $13 and $15million that is scheduled to end in May 2026, a source told The Post.
Skydance Media, which is to take over running CBS likely won't offer Gayle the same deal given the ratings, the source added.
The potential Mornings shake up come as CBS canceled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, whose own reported $15million contract also ends next May.
Gayle's producer Shawna Thomas had reportedly already been told to tone down the progressive content, but just 'didn't do what she was told.'
Thomas views herself as a 'major journalist who wants to heavy reporting and provocative interviews with edgy guests, insiders said.
However, Thomas kept her job because she has Gayle's support.
The Post, citing sources, reported that aside from the woke programming, viewers were 'alienated' by the fact none of the show's anchors, aside from Tony Dokoupil, are white.
A shakeup is expected once Skydance, led by CEO David Ellison, takes over the network.
Gayle signed a contract extension last year for between $13 and $15million that is scheduled to end in May 2026
Viewers were reportedly 'alienated' by the fact none of the show's anchors, aside from Tony Dokoupil, are white
As part of the deal with the FCC, Skydance pledged to monitor for political bias and Paramount eliminated its DEI policies.
DailyMail.com reached out to CBS for comment on this story.
The network declined to comment to the New York Post.
As previously reported, CBS Mornings is leaving its prized Times Square studio amid ongoing cost cutting efforts and plummeting ratings.
The last-placed morning show spent big just four years ago to build the state-of-the-art studio, which reportedly cost tens of millions of dollars.
But CBS Mornings is packing up and moving home to the CBS Broadcast Center on West 57th Street.
The move is reportedly slated for September and comes as CBS News CEO Wendy McMahon makes efforts to slash $500million from the network's budget.
As part of the move, CBS Mornings will now share a studio with CBS Evening News.
