Gayle King is staying put at CBS.
The longtime anchor on CBS Mornings has inked a new deal with the network to remain on the a.m. show, while also expanding her purview to new projects with the network.
The host is one of the faces of CBS News, which is undergoing a restructuring process under the leadership of editor-in-chief Bari Weiss and president Tom Cibrowski.
“There is only one Gayle King. We’re so proud that she’ll continue to call CBS home,” Weiss said in a statement. “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.”
King’s prior contract had been set to end in May, leading to speculation about her future with the network under the new leadership. In fact, King had to deny a report last year that she was going to leave the program.
“Rumors of my demise were inaccurate and greatly exaggerated,” King said in a statement. “CBS News is my longtime home, and I am committed to our mission. 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.”
Still, changes are seen as inevitable at the morning, which had been anchored by King, Nate Burleson and Tony Dokoupil. The latter, of course, has since moved to the CBS Evening News.
“Gayle and Nate Burleson are fantastic partners on the show and morning tv is more vibrant than ever,” Cibrowski said. “We are excited to continue to evolve CBS Mornings and can’t wait for what’s to come.”
But King sticking around gives the show a level of stability amid whatever overhaul Weiss seeks to implement. She had told CBS News staff in a town hall earlier this year that she was “here to make CBS News fit for purpose in the 21st century.”
“Our strategy until now has been to cling to the audience that remains on broadcast television,” she added. “If we stick to that strategy, we’re toast.”
King defended Weiss in the town hall, rallying the troops behind the new leadership. Still, network insiders expect significant changes, not only to CBS Mornings, but to 60 Minutes, the network’s streaming service, and other programming.
Weiss is also expected to roll out new digital initiatives, seeking to engage an audience that ay have tuned out of broadcast TV years ago, or never tuned in in the first place. King is likely to be a part of that.
The Wall Street Journal first reported the deal.
First Appeared on
Source link
Leave feedback about this